OSWEGO – The Oswego County Health Department is investigating a confirmed case of COVID-19 in an employee at the Oswego Sub Shop, 106 W. Bridge St., Oswego. Customers who visited the restaurant between approximately 3:45 and 10:35 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, may have been exposed to COVID-19.

Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said any customer who visited the restaurant during that time should monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal illness.

“The location was made public because our investigation shows there is a possibility of exposure to members of the public whom we could not track down,” said Huang. “This is consistent with our policy of notifying the public when investigations of positive cases determine there is a possibility that people who couldn’t be identified or contacted may have been exposed.”

He emphasized that the restaurant is following all safety protocols outlined by the New York State Department of Health.

Bill Greene Jr., owner of the Oswego Sub Shop, said the affected part-time employee worked part of a shift on Sunday evening. The employee thought she was experiencing allergy symptoms after spending a week camping in the Adirondacks. She was sent home early Sunday, woke up Monday morning with a fever, and tested positive for COVID-19.

“We are working closely with the Oswego County Health Department to investigate the potential exposure,” said Greene. “All employees have been notified, and employees who need to quarantine for 14 days as a precaution have been placed in quarantine.”

He added, “Since the pandemic started, we have been most diligent in going above and beyond the required sanitizing levels recommended by the Health Department and the CDC. We have a sanitizing company, Sanitizing Technologies, come in once a month. We made an additional treatment this morning, Sept. 24, to completely sanitize every inch of the store including our delivery cars! We will continue to maintain a safe and clean place for you to visit.”

Huang said that people experiencing COVID symptoms should call their health care provider from home. People should not go to emergency departments unless they are experiencing life-threatening symptoms.

For more information on COVID-19 testing, call the Oswego County COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oswego County officials said it is imperative for everyone to wear a face covering, practice social distancing and take personal responsibility for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“Social distancing will help reduce the spread of the virus and limit your chance of exposure,” said Huang. “That’s why it is so important that we all follow the crucial measures I’ve outlined below.”

• Stay home as much as possible.
• 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.
• Stay home if you 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 urgent care or an emergency department unless you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.

Residents are asked to continue monitoring reliable sources of information. Go to oswegocounty.com or health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 for the latest news releases, updates and video presentations. For more information go to cdc.gov.

Additional questions can be directed to 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.

Oswego County presents videos highlighting various COVID-19 topics on Tuesday afternoons. They are posted on Oswego County's COVID-19 play list on YouTube, Facebook, and the county government web site at oswegocounty.com.

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.