Onondaga County confirmed 422 total cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, increasing the number of reported cases by 25 since yesterday.

While the total number of confirmed cases has increased substantially, the county’s total number of active cases has only climbed by three, County Executive Ryan McMahon said at a briefing Wednesday. Active cases include patients who have tested positive for the virus but have not recovered or died.

The large number of recoveries has kept the county’s total number of active cases largely stable, McMahon said.

“We had a good day, in the last 24 hours, with recoveries.” McMahon said. “The challenge is, we had 25 positive cases. We need to invert those numbers.”

Coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 140,800 people in New York state and killed 6,268. Six people have died of the virus in Onondaga County.

There are 41 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in Onondaga County, and 22 are in critical condition, McMahon said. Three patients have been hospitalized since yesterday, he said.

The county has enacted close to $12 million in austerity measures to address the economic fallout from COVID-19, McMahon said. The county has scaled back spending in various departments and has fully cut work hours for 50% of part-time employees to zero hours a week, he said.

County officials are anticipating a deficit of $50 to to $100 million as a result of COVID-19, McMahon said.

“Fifty million dollars is a lot of money,” McMahon said. “One hundred million dollars is a real problem. So we’re planning for all these things.”

Upstate University Hospital has received a request for additional staff from Stony Brook University Hospital in Long Island, Upstate CEO Robert Corona said at the briefing. New York state officials are currently constructing a temporary medical facility at Stony Brook University.

Twenty-two registered nurses from Upstate will leave tomorrow to assist Stony Brook University Hospital, said Nancy Page, chief nursing officer at Upstate.

“We certainly wish them safe travels and personal safety in their mission, and certainly hope this gives Stony Brook Hospital the support that they critically need at this time,” Page said.

McMahon also announced two businesses where customers may have recently been exposed to COVID-19. Employees at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet at 3150 Erie Blvd. East and Colonial Laundromat at 408 Oswego Rd have tested positive for the virus, he said.

McMahon urged any recent customers to self-monitor for symptoms.

“We’re in a situation where there’s a community spread of COVID-19,” he said. “We need you to watch your symptoms every day.”

The county is launching an online portal system for patients with COVID-19 to provide updates, McMahon said. The portal will allow county health officials to quicker determine when patients may be released from isolation, he said.

“This is going to help us expedite the review process to see if you meet the CDC guidelines to be let go out of isolation,” McMahon said. “Our health department has to release you. You don’t get to release yourself.”

Published on April 9, 2020 at 12:22 am

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu