Onondaga County confirmed one new death from coronavirus on Wednesday.

The patient was a woman in her 80s with underlying medical conditions, County Executive Ryan McMahon said at a media briefing. This brings the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the county to 30, he said.

The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 299,691 and killed 23,477 in New York state. Onondaga County confirmed 35 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing its total number of positive cases to 876.

The county is currently monitoring 296 active COVID-19 cases, McMahon said. Active cases account for individuals who have tested positive for the virus but have not recovered or died.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has closed all nonessential businesses in New York until May 15 to reduce the spread of COVID-19, at which point he plans to begin a phased reopening of the state. Onondaga County officials continue to work with the surrounding counties to create a central New York restart plan, McMahon said.

Hospitals in the county have resumed elective surgeries, which is the first step in this process, he said.

“Part of getting into a restart is loosening up regulations on businesses that are still operating,” McMahon said. “Elective surgeries fall under public health.”

There are currently 39 individuals in Onondaga County hospitalized with COVID-19 and 8 in critical condition, McMahon said. The hospitalization rate is trending downward, he said.

Of the 35 new cases, 23 are related to senior living facilities, McMahon said. The county has continued to proactively test employees and residents of senior living communities in order to reduce the spread of the virus, he said.

“There’s always going to be cases where it’s not perfect but overall our community has responded well,” McMahon said.

Onondaga County has suffered substantial financial losses during the pandemic, McMahon said. The county will continue to make cuts within its budget and rely on support from the federal government, he said.

The county has also created a retirement incentive in order to free up some salary capital, McMahon said.

“Our deficit isn’t because we mismanaged anything,” McMahon said. “Our ability to raise revenue at this time doesn’t really exist.”

Published on April 30, 2020 at 12:24 am

Contact Mira: mlberenb@syr.edu