Onondaga County confirmed two deaths from the coronavirus on Friday. 

The individuals were both over 70 years old and had underlying health issues, County Executive Ryan McMahon said at a media briefing. The county has reported 25 deaths from the virus in total.

“This is the stark reality of this virus,” McMahon said. “It preys on those with underlying medical conditions.”

The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 271,590 and killed 21,091 in New York state. The county has confirmed 22 cases of the virus since Thursday, bringing its total to 746.

Of the 22 new cases, 8 are related to senior living facilities and 11 are due to community spread, McMahon said. 

The county is currently monitoring 236 active cases, McMahon said. Active cases account for people who have contracted the disease but have not recovered or died. 

“We’re getting better every day, but this is not the time to celebrate the success and not social distance,” McMahon said. “Let’s celebrate success as a community and continue to social distance.”

There are 39 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, and 14 are in critical condition, McMahon said. The hospitalization rate has gone down, but the number of patients in critical condition has risen, he said. 

The county is still awaiting results from 282 COVID-19 tests, McMahon said. About 8% of tests administered have come back positive, he said.

County officials are continuing to work with surrounding counties in the central New York area to develop a plan for restarting the economy, McMahon said. The restart plan will include a three-phase approach, he said. He hopes to present the plan to state officials by next week. 

“We’re not going to get to a point where there are zero new cases,” McMahon said. “We’re not doing anything that our health commissioners wouldn’t be comfortable with.”

Onondaga County has sustained significant financial losses during the pandemic, and will have to reevaluate its spending to cut down on expenses, he said.  

President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion relief bill to support small businesses on Friday. Local governments will need continued support to alleviate the virus’s economic damage and keep people employed, McMahon said.

“The goal is to keep people employed,” McMahon said. “We’re going to need some help.”

Published on April 24, 2020 at 11:21 pm

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu