OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang announced today, Nov. 29, that 52 additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases to 1,848. There are five confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in Oswego County. 

Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said it is vitally important for people to comply with the Health Department’s isolation and quarantine requirements, and to make sure their children are following them also.

“Our nurses and public health investigators have the knowledge and skills to track cases and trace close contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19,” said Huang. “They want to use their expertise to help the community and they strive to make a real difference. However, we need the public to support their efforts. In addition to individual preventive measures, including frequent handwashing, face masking, and social distancing, we ask those who are isolated due to positive tests, and those quarantined due to close contact with a positive person, to comply with the isolation and quarantine requirements. We also need all parents to help make sure their children follow, too.

“We realize that isolation and quarantine requirements can be difficult, especially during the holiday season, but we need everyone to comply,” said Huang. “We have increased our testing capacity, and our community continues to experience a rapid increase in positive cases. If we are to avoid a general lockdown, we need everyone to do their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. A very important part of that is for positive patients and their close contacts to follow the isolation and quarantine requirements.”

This report is current as of 3 p.m. Nov. 29. A more detailed report will be released Monday.

Please know that these numbers fluctuate frequently. Recovered people are not deducted from the total number of positive cases.

• Total # of positive cases: 1,848
• Total deaths: 5

Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup said the virus is rampant throughout the county and people should assume they can be exposed to COVID anywhere they go in Central New York.

“All of us working together can help prevent the pandemic from becoming dramatically worse,” said Legislature Chairman Weatherup. “Please keep yourself safe and take personal responsibility so we can avoid additional restrictions and future shutdowns. Please do your part to protect yourselves, your families and your communities.”

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, chills, repeated shaking with chills, gastrointestinal illness and new loss of taste or smell.

Senior Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg emphasizes, “If you are sick, it is important that you stay home and isolate yourself from other household members. Those who are sick should sleep alone in a separate room, designate a separate bathroom for their use, or disinfect the bathroom after each use.  Wash your hands frequently, cover your coughs and sneezes, wear a mask if you must be in common areas of the household, and keep six feet apart whenever possible.”

Health officials strongly urge residents to take these precautions:

• Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
• Wear a face mask or covering over your nose and mouth.
• Avoid non-essential gatherings of all types.
• Keep six feet from other people.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Call your healthcare provider from home if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath.
• Do not go to the emergency department unless you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.

A list of testing sites and additional information is posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19.

For more information, call the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information about emotional supports, visit the Oswego County Department of Social Services Division of Mental Hygiene at www.oswegocounty.com/mentalhygiene.

New York State provides online links to report violations of health and safety restrictions and requirements for businesses, gatherings and individuals. To file a complaint about a business, location or incident in your community, go to https://mylicense.custhelp.com/app/ask. To file a complaint against your employer or place of work, go to https://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/coronavirus-complaints.shtm.

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the sole local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response over all persons and entities within the County of Oswego. The Oswego County Health Department works closely with New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 monitoring, response and reporting.