OSWEGO COUNTY — Oswego County’s seven-day accumulated COVID-19 case counts continue to decline.
The county health department on Monday announced that an additional 288 residents tested positive for COVID-19 this past week. This total includes positive results from lab-confirmed tests and at-home tests from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27, and marks the seventh week of a downward trend.
Three more COVID-19-related deaths of Oswego County residents were reported by the New York State Department of Health last week, bringing the total to 177.
“Each death is a painful reminder that the fight against this virus is not over,” said Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang. “Our condolences go out to the families and loved ones of these people.”
Huang said that vaccines continue to be a powerful weapon in preventing hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19.
“From Dec. 20, 2021 to Jan. 19, 2022, there were 34 deaths from COVID-19,” he said. “Among them, 20 or 58.8% were not fully vaccinated or never vaccinated.”
Oswego County Medical Director Christian Liepke, M.D. added, “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.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted a new widget on its website (www.cdc.gov) to check nationwide COVID-19 community levels by county.
“‘COVID-19 County Check’ is a measurement tool that refocuses efforts for monitoring COVID-19 and helps communities decide what prevention measures to take based on recent data,” said Huang. “Currently, Oswego County is listed in the ‘high’ level. This means that we should continue our efforts in minimizing the burden on our health care system and protecting the most vulnerable people in our community.
“The CDC’s data also shows that Oswego County residents are slowly but steadily getting vaccinated for COVID-19,” he added. “The county health department encourages residents to get vaccinated if they are eligible and thanks all the pharmacies and providers’ offices who continue to help with vaccination efforts.”
The following report reflects data collected from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27:
— Number of lab/provider tests: 3,119
— Number of lab/provider positive cases: 253
— Percentage of lab/provider positive cases: 8.11%
— Number of at-home positive test results: 35
An additional 15 Oswego County residents were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between Feb. 20 and Feb. 26, according to the hospitalization report received by the Oswego County Health Department. New hospitalization numbers are not part of a running total of hospitalizations.
The Oswego County Health Department continues to hold COVID-19 vaccination clinics across the county, and vaccines are also available at many local pharmacies and health care provider offices. Facemasks are still 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. Go to https://health.oswegocounty.com for a full list of upcoming clinics.
The Oswego County Office for the Aging can help people 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/information/2019_novel_coronavirus/index.php and click on the appropriate link on the left side of the screen.
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.
For more information, go to the Oswego County Health Department’s COVID-19 page at https://health.oswegocounty.com 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.
