Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon confirmed 21 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, raising the total number of cases to 34.  

The novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected more than 300,000 people and killed more than 12,000 worldwide. New York state has confirmed over 10,000 cases of the virus.

The county has received over 700 test results back, including the 34 that were positive, McMahon said at a 3 p.m. press conference. The rise in positive results was expected due to the increased number of total test results the county is receiving, he said.

“The numbers have increased, we knew they would,” McMahon said. “We are very, very happy with our ability to have testing done everyday in this community, and done in a robust way.” 

Hundreds of test results are expected to come back through Monday, and the number of confirmed cases will grow as more results are returned, McMahon said. The county is on-track to obtain enough supplies needed to conduct testing into next week, he said.

Nineteen of the 34 patients are women, and 15 are men, McMahon said. Thirteen of the 34 patients are under 40 years old, 9 are between 40 and 60 years old and 9 are over 60 years old, he said. The approximate ages of three of the patients are unclear.

The additional cases are under investigation to determine whether the individuals were already in quarantine or are connected to a previously confirmed case, McMahon said. Eighty people in the county are currently under mandatory quarantine.

“These are our neighbors. These are individuals who are our friends,” McMahon said. “We know them, they did nothing wrong. They got sick.”

Onondaga County will also begin to share information concerning how many patients have recovered from the illness, McMahon said. 

Two of the 34 patients are currently hospitalized. One patient is in stable condition and the other is in critical condition, Onondaga County Health Commissioner Indu Gupta said. Both individuals have underlying health conditions, she said.

Many confirmed cases have come from outside of the area, and travel has played a role in spreading the virus throughout the community, McMahon said. College students currently on spring break should self-quarantine when they return home, he said.

“Don’t be irresponsible, you were already irresponsible, don’t double-down on that,” McMahon said. “Our spring-breakers and our young people are not immune to this.”

There’s also concern that students may return to off-campus housing instead of going home, McMahon said. Syracuse University said Saturday that students in off-campus housing who knowingly violate public health orders could face conduct sanctions.

McMahon also discussed the county’s partnership with SU, Microsoft and the city of Syracuse during the press conference. Microsoft has created a tool that can suggest whether people should consult a doctor based on their symptoms, he said.

“This digital alliance is currently being used by (SUNY Upstate Medical University),” McMahon said. “This is a great way that we’re utilizing technology.”

Several testing centers in Syracuse have seen a decline in demand in recent days, McMahon said. Health department officials, doctors, daycare providers and other community members have handled the crisis “with absolute professionalism,” he said.

“Maybe we’re getting to everybody that’s sick, maybe we’re not. Data will tell,” he said. “Overall, I think the community is responding very well.”

Published on March 21, 2020 at 7:21 pm

Contact Emma: esfolts@syr.edu