OSWEGO – The Oswego County Health Department is investigating a confirmed case of COVID-19 in an employee of the Oswego Walmart Supercenter, 341 State Rte. 104, Oswego. Customers who visited the store on the following dates and times may have been exposed to COVID-19.

• Wednesday, Oct. 28 between 4 and 9:30 p.m.
• Friday, Oct. 30 between 3 and 10:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said any customer who visited the store during those time periods should monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, new loss of taste and smell, 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.”

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, visit health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 or 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 if you are sick.
• 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.
• Call your healthcare provider from home if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath.

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.