OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang announced today, Dec. 31, that 91 additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases to 3,749.

“In addition to the ever-increasing number of people who are becoming infected with the coronavirus, we are sad to report that we have lost two more of our residents to it,” said Huang. “Every death is an unfortunate development in our efforts to fight this virus and something that we never want to see. I would like to express our condolences to the families and friends of both  patients.”

 He emphasized that today is also another new record high number of positive COVID-19 cases in a day in Oswego County. “We’ve had only one day when we reported less than 25 cases this month; the rest of our daily reports announced 40 or more,” said Huang. “Compare that to the entire month of October – just two months ago – when we never had a day in which we reported more than 15 cases. These numbers are not merely statistics. They are our family members, friends and neighbors who represent the sad and indisputable fact that this disease is rampant in our communities.”

Huang added, “As we look forward to 2021 with a renewed sense of hope in the arrival of new vaccines, I urge everyone to remain vigilant in their protection practices. Please remember to wear your face masks, practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently. These are still the best ways to protect the whole community.”

This report is current as of 3 p.m. Dec. 31.

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

• Total # of tests conducted: 105,378
• Total # of positive cases: 3,749
• Total # of positive cases released: 2,702
• Total deaths: 36
• Total # of positive cases active: 1,011
• Total # of negative results:  100,537
• Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine:  1,889

Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup reminded residents that the virus is rampant throughout the county and people should assume they can be exposed to COVID-19 anywhere they go in Central New York.

“I urge all of our residents to take action and do their part to stop the spread of this disease,” said Chairman Weatherup. “Wear a face mask over your nose and mouth in public, wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing. Comply with isolation and quarantine rules and, most importantly, avoid non-essential gatherings.”

Locations of potential public exposure are posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19. The public is urged to protect themselves as if they could potentially be exposed every time they are in public.

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.

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.

More information is posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19.

Call the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at  315-349-3330 if you have any questions. The hotline will be closed Friday, Jan. 1 for New Year's Day. Otherwise, it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 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.