Onondaga County officials are developing a plan to lift social distancing restrictions after the coronavirus pandemic, County Executive Ryan McMahon said Wednesday.

The county has reported 28 cases of the virus since Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 695, McMahon said at a press briefing. The coronavirus cases COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 263,513 people and killed 19,439.

County officials are considering regional data to determine when and how to safely lift social distancing restrictions, McMahon said. The numbers for central New York are looking better than other regions of the state, he said.

The officials are also receiving feedback from public health officials and private sector partners to develop a phased plan for reopening the county’s economy, which they will present to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for approval once completed, McMahon said.

McMahon said he’s faced mounting pressure from both those who favor a quick reopening of the economy and those who fear reopening too quickly will increase the spread of the virus.

“We recognize that central New York is different (from) the rest of the state,” McMahon said. “Nobody thinks we should have to wait until Long Island gets better.”

McMahon did not extend the county’s voluntary shelter-in-place order, which expired Tuesday after being in effect for two weeks. He wants people to continue to social distance as much as they have been, however.

“We are not at all suggesting that it is time to relax social distancing. What we’re actually saying is do more,” McMahon said.

Social distancing has proved effective in reducing the spread of the virus, McMahon said. The county’s number of confirmed cases was not as severe as predicted because of these measures, he said.

The county is working on developing more effective testing and tracing methods, McMahon said. Even after a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 is created, people will continue to test positive for the virus just like any normal flu, he said.

While the state is responsible for monitoring the COVID-19 situation in nursing homes, independent care and assisted living facilities fall under the county’s jurisdiction, McMahon said. The county is asking for voluntary compliance with these facilities to continue to monitor their confirmed cases, he said.

The county has provided personal protective equipment to Westhill High School in case students gather outside to mourn Zechariah Brown, a senior at the school who died in a car crash early Wednesday.

McMahon advises parents to keep their children at home, and has alerted the sheriff’s department to monitor whether there is a gathering.

“It’s a complicated situation,” McMahon said. “These seniors haven’t been together.”

Any plan for reopening the economy must balance public safety and economic interest, McMahon said. He encouraged people who are currently unemployed to check job listings posted on the Onondaga County Office of Economic Development’s website.

“Time and our health are the greatest things we both have. Let’s do what we can to protect both.”

Published on April 23, 2020 at 12:57 am

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