Onondaga County reports five more COVID-19 deaths

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon on Friday announced five more people have died from COVID-19, bringing the county’s death toll to 65.

Three of the individuals passed away in a hospital, while two died in a nursing home.

“Another tough day in the community,” McMahon said to open is daily coronavirus briefing at the Oncenter. “We’ve lost five neighbors since we were together yesterday in our fight with COVID-19.”

The three who died at hospitals included a female of another race in her 50s; a Caucasian woman in her 60s, who had underlying medical conditions; and an African-American male in his 60s with underlying medical conditions.

McMahon couldn’t provide demographic information on the two people who passed away at state-regulated nursing homes, because it wasn’t available.

Of the 65 total Onondaga County deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, 44 happened in a hospital and 21 in a nursing home, the county executive said, citing the website of the New York State Department of Health.

McMahon also confirmed that the 19 deaths the county added to its total Thursday, due to new nursing-home data from the state, was correct.

“To our point, our information yesterday about the increased number in deaths [including the nursing home deaths] is accurate, unfortunately” he said.

Onondaga County now has 1,286 coronavirus cases, up 52 from Thursday. Of those recovering from COVID-19, 64 are in a hospital, up four from yesterday. The county has 13 people in critical condition, down one from Thursday.