Jan. 04, 2022

OSWEGO COUNTY – According to the hospitalization report received by the Oswego County Health Department, an additional 27 Oswego County residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between Sunday, Dec. 26 and Saturday, Jan. 1. New hospitalization numbers are not part of a running total of hospitalizations.

59.26% of those hospitalized were not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated; and 37.04% were fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated is defined as having had two doses of the Pfizer (Comirnaty) or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Just 3.70% were fully vaccinated with a booster or third dose.

The age distribution of these 27 new patients is: 3.70% aged 0 to 18 years; 11.11% aged 19 to 45 years; 25.93% aged 46 to 64 years; and 59.26% aged 65 years and above.

“This data shows us that people over 65 years of age continue to bear a higher burden of hospitalizations than those in other age groups,” said Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang. “I urge everyone who is eligible for the vaccine to get fully vaccinated – and those who haven’t received their booster dose yet to go get their shot. As of Sunday, Jan. 2, just 28,541 County residents have received their third shot or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The vaccine remains a powerful tool that will help protect us– and our moms and dads – from severe symptoms, hospitalization and death,” he continued. “The vaccine is widely available across the county – at your doctor’s office, in your pharmacy, from the County’s vaccination clinics.”

Huang went on to announce that an additional 1,307 residents tested positive for COVID-19 this past week. This includes data reported from Monday, Dec. 27 through Sunday, Jan. 2. These new cases bring the total cumulative number of positive cases since the county began monitoring for COVID-19 in March 2020 to 18,691. In addition, five more COVID-19-related deaths were reported by the NYS Department of Health, bringing the total to 148.

“Unfortunately, this past week has been record-breaking in terms of the number of new cases reported,” said Huang. “Our previous highest weekly case count was 706 for the week ending Dec. 5, but we’ve topped that by averaging around 200 cases a day for the last six days. This puts a tremendous strain on our resources as these numbers are well above the tracing capacity of our department. We are diligently working through this backlog, prioritizing cases that are school-related.”

Huang added, “We ask residents to please follow all COVID-19 prevention measures, such as face-masking and social distancing, to help reduce the virus’ impact on our community – especially on our health care and first response systems.”

At-home testing is becoming more common, and Oswego County is working to develop a reporting portal for residents to submit the results of their tests.

The Oswego County Health Department changed its COVID-19 reporting format due to the surge in positive cases and change in COVID-19 activity. Reports on testing, new cases and positivity rates are now issued weekdays.

This report reflects data collected on Friday, Dec. 31:

• Number of people tested: 874
• Number of new positive cases: 158
• Positivity percentage: 18.08%

This report reflects data collected on Saturday, Jan. 1:

• Number of people tested: 666
• Number of new positive cases: 236
• Positivity percentage: 35.44%

This report reflects data collected on Sunday, Jan. 2:

• Number of people tested: 743
• Number of new positive cases: 189
• Positivity percentage: 25.44%

This report reflects data collected on Monday, Jan. 3:

• Number of people tested: 942
• Number of new positive cases: 293
• Positivity percentage: 31.10%

The Oswego County Health Department continues to hold COVID-19 vaccine clinics on Wednesdays at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego.

On Wednesday, Jan. 5, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., health staff will administer the patient’s choice of either the Pfizer (Comirnaty) or the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine. First, second, third (for immune-compromised only) and booster doses are available for the Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine. The single shot vaccine and just one booster dose are still available for the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

On Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., health staff will administer the Moderna vaccine. First, second and booster doses are available.

For more information, call the COVID-19 Hotline at 315-349-3330.

“The Oswego County COVID-19 Hotline continues to see a high volume of calls,” said Diane Oldenburg, senior public health educator for the Oswego County Health Department. “Hotline staff continue to be available to answer questions, schedule vaccination appointments for health department clinics and send out isolation and quarantine paperwork. Please be aware that some calls take longer than others, so at times you may need to leave a message and a staff person will return your call.”

The Oswego County Office for the Aging can 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 Friday. Call 315-598-1514 to schedule a ride in advance.

The Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine clinics are open to anyone 12 years of age and older. Children aged 5 to 11 years can get the pediatric vaccine through their school district, local pharmacy or health care provider.

The Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine is approved for those aged 5 years and over. It is a two-dose vaccine series. Currently, the booster is only approved for those aged 16 and over, six months after their second shot.

The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine is approved for those aged 18 years and over. It is a one-dose vaccine, and the booster is only approved for those aged 18 and over, two months after their initial dose.

The Moderna vaccine is approved for those aged 18 years and over. It is a two-dose vaccine series. The booster is only approved for those aged 18 year and over, six months after their second shot.

Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup reminds residents that Oswego County continues to have a high community transmission level according to the CDC. “If you have not been vaccinated yet, now is time to get your shot -- not only to protect yourself, but your family and friends, and your community as well,” he said.

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 5 years of age or older.
• Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
• Wash your hands often.
• Keep six feet distance between you and those you do not live with, especially if you are unvaccinated.
• Wear a face mask inside public spaces you visit or patronize, where you work, or in crowded outdoor settings, regardless of your vaccination status.
• All residents should follow COVID-19 prevention measures local businesses and workplaces may 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.

For information about emotional supports, visit the Oswego County Department of Social Services Division of Mental Hygiene at www.oswegocounty.com/mentalhygiene.

Effective Dec. 13, New York State requires that masks must be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a full-course vaccination requirement. Oswego County government requires that masks be worn inside all county government facilities.

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.