Onondaga County: People 30 years and younger driving positive cases; example of a COVID cluster

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Since Thursday, Onondaga County has reported 39% of its new cases (66 cases) are people who are under 30 years old.

On Monday, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon asked anyone in this demographic who has engaged in social activities to get tested.

McMahon said specifically young people ranging from 15-years-old to 29 should consider getting a COVID-19 test. He said that there could be a high likelihood that if you are within that age range and think you have allergies, it could be COVID-19. Get a test.

“This is a reminder that the virus is still here. One unforced error can lead to this,” said McMahon, unveiling a chart depicting how a cluster in Onondaga County started.

A cluster is a group of cases with the same known source. McMahon said cases from just one cluster continue to show up in the data for at least two weeks. “Without these clusters,” said McMahon, “our data would be incredible.”

Onondaga County’s 7-day infection rate is at 1.3%. The infection rate will be a crucial data point for deciding the reopening of schools.

Several other key businesses in the community are still on the sidelines. McMahon said gym owners have put forward compelling guidance for their reopening. In their daily regional control calls, local leaders are encouraging the state to work with them in reopening these businesses.

---