Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon confirmed 19 cases of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing the county’s total number of reported cases to 598.

Coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 229,642 people and killed at least 12,800 in New York state. The county has not reported any deaths from COVID-19 since Thursday, McMahon said at a media briefing. Seventeen people have died of the virus in total.

“We’re going to do everything we can to save every life that we can,” McMahon said. “That’s what this is all about, saving lives.”

The total number of recoveries now stands at 310, an increase of 31 since Thursday. The county is currently monitoring 271 active cases. Active cases account for people who’ve contracted the virus but have not recovered or died.

There are currently 47 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, McMahon said. Of these patients, 22 are in critical condition. The hospitalization rate of patients with COVID-19 has remained between 18% to 20%, he said.

Nearly 1,100 people are in mandatory isolation or quarantine because of their relation to an active case, McMahon said. Of the confirmed cases, 20% are connected to one another, he said.

Every town and municipality within the county has at least one confirmed case, McMahon said. There are no confirmed cases within the Onondaga Nation.

The county is working on more testing strategies to target patients who are not showing symptoms but may still infect others, McMahon said. Officials are awaiting results from 134 tests, and have received 209 test results since Thursday, he said.

The county will begin testing nursing home employees next week in partnership with Walmart and Quest Diagnostics, McMahon said. There are nearly 1,000 tests available for these employees, he said.

“We have some testing capacity so we have to take advantage of the capacity,” McMahon said. “In these populations, if they get hospitalized, they get really sick. We’re taking the fight for COVID-19 to our seniors.”

Onondaga County has also been working with surrounding counties to work on a plan for restarting the economy, McMahon said. The counties will coordinate with health commissioners and hospitals to build a restart plan based on data about the virus, he said.

“Whatever a restart is, it’s going to be phased in,” McMahon said. “Health care professionals need to be able to deal with this threat in real-time.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order March 20 canceling nonessential public gatherings and mandating that nonessential workers remain home until April 15. On April 16, he extended the deadline to May 15. McMahon said he expects this date to change.

Cuomo also announced April 15 that he would issue an executive order mandating that anyone in a situation where they’re unable to practice social distancing must wear a mask or cloth to cover their nose and face. Local businesses in the county should help enforce the order, McMahon said.

“We’re all connected so we need to be diligent,” McMahon said. “We need the public to step up and do what’s best for the public health.”

Published on April 17, 2020 at 9:54 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu