Oswego County Offers Second Booster Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine April 6
OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department will begin offering second booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine during its walk-in clinic on Wednesday, April 6. Clinic hours are 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began recommending a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine last week and the New York State Department of Health has now adopted the measure.
The CDC also raised Oswego County’s COVID-19 community to ‘high’ again last Thursday.
“This ‘COVID-19 County Check’ is a measurement tool that helps communities decide what prevention measures to take based on recent data,” said Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang. “The CDC and the state DOH recommend that people wear a mask indoors in public spaces and keep their COVID-19 vaccines up to date. If people experience symptoms, they should go to get tested. If they are at a high risk for severe illness, they should take additional precautions, such as avoiding poorly ventilated or crowded spaces.”
Huang said that an additional 725 residents tested positive for COVID-19 from Monday, March 28 through Sunday, April 3. 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 184.
“The seven-day accumulated case number continues to rise, going up to 725 in today’s report,” he said. “This is a 37% increase from last week’s report. New York State is one of a dozen states across the nation that has seen cases increase in recent weeks and the Central New York region leads this rise in the state.”
The following report reflects data collected from Monday, March 28 through Sunday, April 3:
Number of lab/provider tests: 4,415
Number of lab/provider positive cases: 519
Percentage of lab/provider positive cases: 11.76%
Number of at-home positive test results: 206
An additional 14 Oswego County residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between Sunday, March 27 and Saturday, April 2, 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 weekly COVID-19 vaccination clinics and 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.
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 Medical Director Christian Liepke, M.D. said, “While vaccination continues to be our best defense against COVID-19, it’s also good to know that there are now medicines that have received emergency use authorization from the FDA and the CDC for the treatment of the virus. People who test positive for COVID-19 should contact their primary care provider right away to find out if they meet certain eligibility criteria to begin treatment.”
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
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.
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.
