Onondaga County now has 111 cases of COVID-19, a surge of 30 from Wednesday. County executive Ryan McMahon says this is the backlog in results from last week’s tests that he’s been expecting.
"We've seen that spike in the last three days. I think that lets the community know how real this is, and how this is a threat."
Fourteen are hospitalized, with four critical. He says more positive results means more than 400 people are now under mandatory quarantine; those who are positive, and those who’ve had exposure to a positive case.
"Our staff rightfully focuses on the positive cases. But we will get to the quarantined cases as well. When we get a slew of new positives, , our health department is going at a robust speed to get in front of these investigations to figure out the new sets of quarantines."
At the same time, he says people who’ve recovered or surpassed the 14 day incubation period will be coming off quarantine. Meanwhile, he says Syracuse University has offered Manley Field House as a surge site should hospitals need it. McMahon says right now, there are plenty of beds.
IMPACT ON OLDER ADULTS
We already know older adults are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease. But the Chair of Geriatrics at SUNY Upstate says the physical isolation needed to keep them safe is also taking a toll. Dr. Sharon Brangman says family members are trying to figure out the best way to provide support, whether they’re local or out of town. But she says even using the phone or other virtual technology can present a dilemma.
"It's a little bit more challenging if someone is hard of hearing and may not be able to communicate on the telephone. Or, if they have cognitive problems like memory loss or dementia, and they're used to having more physical cues to get them through the day."
Brangman says seniors living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities are also feeling isolated and anxious because of visitor restrictions. She urges residents to check in on older neighbors to see if they need help with a run to the store for food or medicine.
"There's a way to drop off the medications either at their door or on their porch so you can maintain that social distance. There are some who can't use the senior hotline to call up and express their needs. Those are the people who need some extra help."
She says she’s very pleased with the community’s response and outreach, which is needed to help older adults get through the crisis. The senior meal and assistance hotline is (315) 218-1987. Health care workers and others who have contact with...or concerns about seniors can also call that number.
