Onondaga County announces first positive case of coronavirus

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon says a person has tested positive for coronavirus in Onondaga County. It is a woman in her 70s who has a “significant medical history.” The County Executive says the patient is being sent to the hospital. Due to privacy, the hospital the woman is going to will not be revealed.

McMahon has now issued an executive order, closing all schools as of 4 p.m. Monday. There will be a strategy as to how to ensure students will still be able to get meals if they need them, and that plan will be out late Monday night or Tuesday. A childcare plan will also be in place, McMahon said.

McMahon is also issuing an executive order pertaining to those who go get tested for coronavirus. If someone gets a test, they must then go straight home and put themselves under a mandatory quarantine until the results come back. McMahon says failure to do so is a Class B misdemeanor. 

A third executive order McMahon is imposing has to do with social gathering. There are to be no more than 50 people in any gathering space at a time. If a venue can hold less than 50 people, its occupancy must be halved. That means if a venue can only hold 40 people, they now can only host a maximum of 20 people. McMahon was asked how Destiny USA falls into the scope of this, and he says there are plans to meet with mall management today to discuss that.

McMahon feels the Onondaga County community is ready and prepared to deal with coronavirus. He says we are, “At the point now where our community will be tested.” He is reminding people that there is no need to hoard items at the grocery store, as many have been doing.

To stay updated with what is going on in the county, a Facebook Live update will be held daily at 12 p.m. on the County’s Facebook page.

To watch the entire press conference, click on the video player below:

Dr. Thomas explains what is next for Onondaga County after first case of coronavirus confirmed

Dr. Stephen Thomas, an infectious disease specialist, was on the set of Bridge Street after Onondaga County announced its first positive case of coronavirus. He explains what is next for the county in the video above.

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