Oneida County continues to combat COVID-19

UTICA, N.Y. » A nice change from an alarmingly high increase in numbers as of late, Oneida County announced 6 new positive COVID-19 cases at their press briefing on May 6.

The county has seen 555 total COVID-19 cases since the very beginning. 12% of that total comes from the recent outbreak at Green Empire Farms, which was discovered and announced in the last week.

Officials said 221 individuals in Oneida county have tested positive for the virus and have since resolved.

According to officials, 22 actively positive individuals are hospitalized, with two of those cases admitted outside the county. The number of deaths reported as being associated with CO

VID-19 remains at 18.

More information was released regarding the greenhouse outbreak, with Oneida County Anthony Picente Jr. sharing that due to the circumstances of it being a hot spot, the workers’ place of residence would be revealed. A large majority of the workers who tested positive reside at La Quinta Inn & Suites in Verona and have been living there since before the outbreak.

Picente said the workers are in their own section of the hotel. Oneida County is working closely with the hotel establishment, and other guests have been informed of the circumstances, officials said.

Picente also wanted to address the public outcry over the continued closure of campgrounds as the weather starts to turn for the better. He emphasized that reopening will be datadriven and done with the utmost safety in mind. Taking away people’s leisure activities does not make himself or any official happy, he shared.

He reiterated that the decision for golf courses to reopen came from the state, and if it were up to him, these establishments would still be closed.

Overall, he’s asking for patience and compassion from residents as the entire population, regardless of age, gender, race, or ethnicity, faces this crisis together.

Picente commented, “I know everyone is as frustrated as the next person, and no one is more frustrated than me when I have to come up each and every day and talk about some very depressing numbers, of lives that have been lost, and people that are very sick.”

He continued, “I want to open more than anybody else, but it has to be done the right way. It has to be done in a way in which those numbers make sense, and in which everybody is safe.”

The NY On-pause order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is still set for May 15, and no place can reopen until at least that date, Picente stated. Patience and compliance will help things reopen faster, he said.

As time goes on in this new way of life, many have had to make adjustments. Thousands of Oneida County residents are unemployed, some are sick, and families have lost loved ones in relation to this new disease.

Schools will remain closed throughout the remainder of the year, and many family and friends haven’t seen each other since this all began months ago.

But, Oneida County Director of Public Health Phyllis Ellis shared that despite the odds and the turmoil, individuals can still take action each and every day to protect their own personal health and well being.

For those who are suffering from the weight of the pandemic and the lack of social interaction, the Oneida County Mental Health Hotline is an available resource for those in need. Ellis encourages anyone experiencing a mental slump or who needs someone to talk to, to give the hotline a call.

“This is not the environment that we have grown up with and lived with and enjoy, so I would really encourage people to take us up on our [hotlines] if you have concerns. If you already have therapists or counselors that you talk to, be sure to speak with them,” she said.

The Mental Health Hotline can be reached at 1-800-678-0888. More hotline resources can be found on Oneida County’s website.

In addition to this, technology may be everyone’s greatest ally during these trying times. Calling, facetiming, video-chatting, playing online games, and connecting through social media are all ways individuals can check in on loved ones, friends, and their fellow neighbors while maintaining social distancing.

Ellis would like to remind residents that supporting your physical health is just as important as supporting your mental health. Remaining indoors and limiting interactions with others may protect the vulnerable from this disease, but it can also have negative effects if everyone isn’t taking care of their personal health.

Ellis encourages residents to eat a healthy balanced diet, go out for walks, and do the things that your body needs to stay nourished.

In addition, interacting with the outside world may have a myriad of benefits, including exposure to the sun to increase vitamin D.

According to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, a list of potential benefits from exposure to forests and trees is as follows:

• boosts the immune system

• lowers blood pressure

• reduces stress

• improves mood

• increases ability to focus, even in children with ADHD

• accelerates recovery from surgery or illness

• increases energy level

• improves sleep Ellis went on to address a circulating idea that physicians or hospitals may be falsely reporting COVID-19 deaths to receive greater funding in a fraudulent sort of way.

This claim, Ellis said, is likely untrue.

She explained that the way COVID-19 is coded on a patient’s report, whether they died or not, can, in fact, affect how Medicaid or Medicare deploys reimbursement to hospitals for the care needed to treat these patients—this is no different than how any hospital report is recorded in other cases to receive the proper funds for other circumstances. Different diagnoses require different resources, including PPE, human resources, labor, materials, ventilator use, ICU admission, and more, Ellis explained.

She emphasized that the potential to misuse this practice is highly doubtful, adding that it’s “illegal and unethical” for any physician or practice to do so.

Right now, Ellis said health officials know who has COVID-19 when they die, and this is certainly a factor in determining how the individual is treated, tracked, and other actions moving forward, including reporting within the medical field. Supporting Ellis’s explanation, a fact checking source run by USA TODAY stated, “Recent legislation pays hospitals higher Medicare rates for COVID-19 patients and treatment, but there is no evidence of fraudulent reporting.”

To help inform residents and prepare the community for May 15 when certain businesses may go back to business, Oneida County will be hosting another virtual town hall on May 11 at 6 p.m. via their Facebook page. This time around, the county is taking presubmitted questions as well as live questions from the comments section during the event. To submit a question ahead of time, visit Oneida County Government on Facebook and comment on their post regarding the town hall.

An announcement was made on May 5 by county officials stating that upon further investigation, it was determined that the potential public exposure at the Walmart at 710 Horatio St. in Utica that was reported during this briefing on May 4 was based on misinformation.

There was no employee who tested positive for COVID-19 working the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift at that location April 27 to May 3. No precautions need to be taken.