April 11, 2022

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department reports that an additional 891 residents tested positive for COVID-19 from Monday, April 4 through Sunday, April 10. This includes results from lab-confirmed tests and at-home tests. In addition, another COVID-19-related death was reported by the NYS Department of Health, bringing the total to 185.

Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said that this is the third week Oswego County has seen an increase in the number of seven-day accumulated positive cases. “The last time our numbers were this high (over 800) was in early February,” he said. “However, at that time, we were in a downward trend as new COVID-19 cases were beginning to drop off and now, our numbers are quickly climbing back up.”

Oswego County Medical Director Christina Liepke, M.D. echoed his concerns. “In the two-week period between March 24 and April 7, there were 1,574 new COVID-19 cases,” she said. “Of these, 544 were aged 0 to 25 years; 442 were aged 26 to 44 years; 436 were aged 45 to 64; and 152 were aged 65 years and over. This distribution is similar to what we saw in December and January.”

She added, “Unfortunately, we have not seen our vaccination rates increase as well. This is concerning because Oswego County currently has the highest rate of positive cases per population in the state.” (https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing-tracker)

Oswego County’s COVID-19 community level remains ‘high,’ according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At this level, the CDC and NYSDOH recommend that people wear a mask indoors in public spaces and keep their COVID-19 vaccines up to date. They should also get tested if they experience symptoms and, if they are at a high risk for severe illness, should take additional precautions, such as avoiding poorly ventilated or crowded spaces.

“We continue to urge people to practice preventative measures to help protect the more vulnerable populations in our community,” said Huang. “Stay home if you are sick and keep your vaccinations up to date.”

The following report reflects data collected from Monday, April 4 through Sunday, April 10:

• Number of lab/provider tests: 4,159
• Number of lab/provider positive cases: 634
• Percentage of lab/provider positive cases: 15.24%
• Number of at-home positive test results: 257

An additional 14 Oswego County residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between Sunday, April 3 and Saturday, April 9, according to the hospitalization report received by the Oswego County Health Department. New hospitalization numbers are not part of a running total of hospitalizations. For hospitalization details such as age groups and vaccination status, go to the Oswego County COVID-19 Dashboard at https://oswegogis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/3fd162cd12264b418dc03bdebd7f5300.

The Oswego County Health Department holds COVID-19 vaccination clinics every Tuesday and Wednesday. Vaccines are also available at local pharmacies and health care provider offices. Face masks are required at all clinics and at-home COVID-19 test kits will be distributed to those getting vaccinated at a county clinic while supplies last.

To reduce wait times at the County’s vaccination clinics, residents are strongly encouraged to go to health.oswegocounty.com/vaccines to make an appointment.

The Oswego County Office for the Aging can help people aged 60 and older 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.

Oswego County developed a portal for residents to report positive at-home COVID-19 test results, exposure to the virus and get the necessary isolation/quarantine paperwork for schools and employers. Go to https://health.oswegocounty.com/COVID-19 and click on the appropriate link.

Test results received from doctor’s offices, pharmacies and other testing sites DO NOT need to be self-reported. However, if isolation orders are needed for school, employers or other reasons, people can request these documents using the portal’s “Report a Positive (Laboratory) Test” option. 

The health department encourages residents who test positive to immediately notify any close contacts. The close contact should then go to the State’s website at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-contact-tracing to find out if they meet the criteria for quarantine. If they do, they should report the exposure on the County Health Department’s online portal. 

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

• Get vaccinated and keep your COVID-19 vaccinations up to date.
• Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
• Wear a well-fitting mask.
• Stay six feet from others.
• Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.
• Test to prevent virus spread to others
• Wash your hands often.
• Follow recommendations for isolation and quarantine.

For more information, go to the Oswego County Health Department’s COVID-19 page at https://health.oswegocounty.com/COVID-19 or call its COVID-19 Hotline at 315-349-3330. Callers may need to leave a message and a staff member will return the call.

Residents should also contact their medical providers directly for personal medical advice about COVID-19 and vaccinations or booster shots.

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.