OSWEGO, NY – Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang announced today, Dec. 4, that 73 additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases to 2,168.
Yesterday, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “December and January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation, largely because of the stress that it’s going to put on our health care system.”
Huang added, “We have challenges ahead of us. Locally, we saw a small dip for the first two days of December after the record-breaking peak at the end of November. However, the single-day case numbers of yesterday and today show an upward trend.
“For the safety of yourself and your loved ones, and for the community, you must wear a face mask over your nose and mouth in public, wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing. Social gatherings of any size – even between family members who don’t live together – are not recommended. We all need to practice
these measures. They are imperative if we want to preserve our local first response teams and health care system.”
This report is current as of 3 p.m. Dec. 4.
Please know that these numbers fluctuate frequently. Recovered people are not deducted from the total number of positive cases.
– Total # of tests conducted: 84,307
– Total # of positive cases: 2,168
– Total # of positive cases released: 1,637
– Total deaths: 5
– Total # of positive cases active: 526
– Total # of negative results: 81,809
– Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine: 1,230
Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup said the virus is rampant throughout the county and people should assume they can be exposed to COVID anywhere they go in Central New York.
“All of us working together can help prevent the pandemic from becoming dramatically worse,” said Chairman Weatherup. “Please keep yourself safe and take personal responsibility so we can avoid additional restrictions and future shutdowns. Please do your part to protect yourselves, your families and your communities.”
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.
Those who are required to quarantine must stay home and away from other members of their household. Senior Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg emphasizes, “Whether you are sick or feeling well, waiting for your test results or have been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, you must quarantine. It is important that you stay home and isolate yourself from other household members. Those who are quarantined should sleep alone in a separate room, designate a separate bathroom for their use and disinfect the bathroom after each use. Wash your hands frequently, cover your coughs and sneezes, wear a mask if you must be in common areas of the household, and keep six feet apart whenever possible.”
Health officials strongly urge residents to take these precautions:
– Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they 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.
– Do not go to the emergency department unless you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.
A list of testing sites and additional information is posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19.
For more information, call the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For information about emotional supports, visit the Oswego County Department of Social Services Division of Mental Hygiene at www.oswegocounty.com/mentalhygiene.