OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department reported an additional 103 residents tested positive for the virus from Monday, June 13 through Sunday, June 19. This includes both lab-confirmed and at-home tests. In addition, five residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between Sunday, June 12 and Saturday, June 18.

“Although hospitalizations have risen slightly this week, the number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to fall,” said Jodi Martin, director of preventive services for the Oswego County Health Department. “One way to keep moving forward with this progress is for people to keep their COVID-19 vaccinations up to date.

“We’re happy to report that an additional 408 vaccinations were administered to County residents in the last week,” she added. “This is great news for the community as vaccination remains the best tool to prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that everyone aged six months or older get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Getting eligible children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get the virus,” said Oswego County Associate Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg. “It can also help relieve the strain on families by providing greater confidence in children being able to participate in childcare, school and other activities without interruption.”

Oldenburg also said that emerging evidence indicates that people can get added protection by getting vaccinated after having been infected with the COVID-19 virus. “Even if a child has had COVID-19, they should still get vaccinated,” she said. “Talk to your health care provider about vaccines for your family.”

The following report reflects data collected from Monday, June 13 through Sunday, June 19:

• Number of lab/provider tests: 1,725
• Number of lab/provider positive cases: 93
• Percentage of lab/provider positive cases: 5.39%
• Number of at-home positive test results: 10

The Oswego County Health Department receives weekly accounts of new hospitalizations due to COVID-19 from local reporting hospitals including Oswego, Crouse, St. Joseph’s Health and Upstate University. These accounts are not part of a running total of hospitalizations. For details, go to the Oswego County COVID-19 Dashboard at https://oswegogis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/3fd162cd12264b418dc03bdebd7f5300.

The Oswego County Health Department holds vaccination clinics every Tuesday afternoon from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. by appointment only. Clinics are also held the second Wednesday of each month, from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are accepted on Wednesdays, but residents are strongly encouraged to go to health.oswegocounty.com/vaccines to make an appointment to avoid wait times.

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.

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.

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 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.