Oneida County reports rise in virus cases from church testing site in Utica

UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County on Friday reported that 38 people tested positive for the coronavirus, up from 10 the day before.

The county says the increased number of positive cases was a “direct result” of the free virus testing event held at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Utica on Wednesday. It also expects more positive test results to emanate from that testing in the next few days.

Philip Vanno, a spokesperson for Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr., notes that the testing at the church was not because of COVID-19 exposure at the church.

“The New York State Department of Health conducted a free testing event in the parking lot of that church on July 15th to reach the population that lives in that area of Utica. The increased amount of positive cases reported today are directly related to the more than 600 residents who were tested at that event,” Vanno said in an email.

Oneida County also reported the following COVID-19 statistics:

• The 38 cases (none are nursing-home residents) brings the county’s total to 1,855
• No new COVID-19-related deaths, 110 total
• 16 coronavirus patients are hospitalized in Oneida County (15 at MVHS, 1 at Rome Memorial)
• 2 patients are admitted in hospitals outside Oneida County
• 6 hospitalized patients in the county are nursing-home residents receiving acute care (5 at MVHS, 1 at Rome Memorial)
• 218 active positive cases
• 1,527 people with the virus have recovered, up 9 from the day before
• 63,046 total tests have been conducted
• 61,191 total negative results

The county also reported the following new potential public exposures to the virus:

7/15/20

Time of exposure: 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Place of exposure: Walmart

Address of exposure: Horatio Street, Utica

Wore mask: Yes

Symptom monitoring period: up to 7/29/20

7/16/20

Time of exposure: 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Place of exposure: Walmart

Address of exposure: Horatio Street, Utica

Wore mask: Yes

Symptom Monitoring period: up to 7/30/20