Community spread cases of COVID-19 are inching up in Onondaga County as the weather gets cooler and more time is being spent inside. County Executive Ryan McMahon said the health department is starting to see a trend.
“We have cases where people went to work with light symptoms. They went and socialized with some colleagues. Grabbed some dinner, and then all the sudden you see some spread,” said McMahon. “These are things that are happening. The majority of our cases in the community spread category are people who are sick with symptoms and they’re going to work.”
McMahon also reported 3 cases in one of the area’s nursing home. The county is now working on an Executive Order with state partners which would implement COVID-19 wastewater testing in local nursing homes.
McMahon said it would be a tool for early detection, and the nursing homes would not have to do any of the work. The county would handle the management of wastewater testing. If the virus is detected, the county would then go in and test all staff and residents. Nursing home staff is still testing for the coronavirus once a week under state mandate.
