OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang announced today, July 12, that five additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19 this past week. This brings the total cumulative number of positive cases since the county began monitoring for COVID-19 in March 2020 to 8,136. There are currently seven active positive cases.

“While Oswego County’s new case counts have remained low in the last weeks, the pandemic is not over yet,” said Huang. “In the coming months, we must continue combating COVID-19 virus. In this continuous fight, the vaccine is the important weapon to contain the virus.”

Huang explained, “The virus changes constantly. Recently, the Delta variant of the coronavirus has been spreading rapidly throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Evidence shows that this variant is more transmissible and virulent. If vaccinated people are infected, they are unlikely to develop severe illness. An unvaccinated person with Delta infection is roughly twice as likely to require hospital treatment than a person infected with the previously dominant variant.

Since the COVID-19 vaccination started, county residents received more than 107,000 doses of the vaccine. As of today, almost half of total population in the County is fully vaccinated. But we still have more than 2,500 residents who received only the first vaccine in a two-dose series and many areas of the county with low vaccine coverage rates.”

Huang urged residents to get vaccinated if you are not already. If you are vaccinated with only one dose of Pfizer or Moderna, get your second shot now.

This report is current as of 1 p.m. July 12.

• Total # of positive cases currently active: 7

The following numbers are cumulative since the county began monitoring COVID-19 in March 2020. They will be updated weekly to show new cases or changes. Those who have been released are not removed from the running total.

• Total # of tests conducted: 236,230
• Total # of negative results: 225,025
• Total # of positive cases: 8,136
• Total # of positive cases released: 8,038
• Total deaths reported by the New York State Department of Health: 93
• Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine: 16

The Health Department continues to work with communities across the county to hold vaccination clinics and get more residents vaccinated. Since January of this year, it has run more than 50 COVID-19 vaccination clinics with support from local and regional public health agencies and the help of many community volunteers. Upcoming clinic information can be found at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19.

The Oswego County COVID-19 Hotline is also available to help people make appointments and answer any COVID-19-related questions. It is open 8:30 am. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 315-349-3330.

The Oswego County Office for the Aging can also help people aged 60 and over who need help navigating the internet to make appointments. Call 315-349-3484.

Free transportation is provided to residents to go to COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites through a partnership between Oswego County and Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. Rides are available between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 315-598-1514 to schedule a ride in advance.

Chairman Weatherup reminds residents that the virus is still active, and people should assume they can be exposed to COVID-19 anywhere they go. “With restrictions lifted, I urge residents to protect themselves in public spaces, especially if they are not vaccinated,” he said. “Now is not the time to let our guard down and abandon safety practices. If you have not been vaccinated yet, now is the time to get your shot.”

Locations of public exposure to the virus are posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at www.health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19.

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.

Residents are urged to continue taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including:

• Get vaccinated if you are 12 years of age or older.
• Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
• Wash your hands often.
• Wear a face mask if you are unvaccinated.
• Keep six feet distance between you and those you do not live with, especially if you are unvaccinated.

Those who are unvaccinated should continue to wear a mask and maintain social distancing in public. All residents should follow COVID-19 prevention measures that local businesses and workplaces may still have in place. Check the New York State website at forward.ny.gov for additional guidance.

For more information, go to the Oswego County Health Department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 or call its COVID-19 Hotline at 315-349-3330. Phone lines are open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 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.  

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response 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.