Onondaga County records record coronavirus hospitalizations, 2 more deaths

Syracuse, New York – Coronavirus-related hospitalizations hit a record 92 today, the highest level since the pandemic began in March, said Ryan McMahon, Onondaga County director.

McMahon also reported that two other people had died in Onondaga County: an 88-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man.

The higher number of hospitalizations comes as the county’s daily workload ranges from 150 to 240 per day.

In the past 24 hours, hospitals have registered 20 new patient admissions, he said.

But if the number of cases is high, it appears to be leveling off, he said.

The county has also reported 219 additional new cases, he said. This is eight cases less than yesterday.

The county confirmed 227 new cases on Thursday. The county hit a new record of 240 confirmed cases on Wednesday.

And when you look week after week, the numbers seem more stable, he added.

“We are on track for the same number of cases as last week,” he said. It’s better than the week before, when growth jumped 90%.

“It looks like our workload is flattening out,” McMahon said, adding that he believes county residents can defy predictions that the virus will develop over the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Let’s really wait,” he added, urging people to continue to be careful, limit gatherings and follow health guidelines.

The county also conducted 1,559 tests today in schools, he said. Only four tests came back positive.

Overall, the county has performed around 2,000 tests on people with no symptoms – and found six positive results, he said.

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