Onondaga County reports three more COVID-19 deaths, spike in infections

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon on Thursday said three more people in the county have died from COVID-19, bringing its death toll to 33.

The victims were an African-American woman in her 80s, an African-American woman in her 60s, and a Caucasian woman in her 80s, McMahon said to open his remarks at his daily coronavirus briefing at the Oncenter.

“Certainly, today’s a tough day. We have lost three neighbors to COVID-19,” he said. “Just want to let the families know that we’re thinking about them and certainly praying for them.”

McMahon also reported that Onondaga County had 44 new COVID-19 infections in the last day, up from 35 a day earlier. It’s the second-highest daily number of cases since the virus crisis started in mid-March. The county, which now has 920 confirmed cases of COVID-19, has recently increased its testing of residents and employees of senior-living facilities. That has led to more positives, the county executive says. Of the 44 new cases reported Thursday, 25 were from the senior communities.

Those with coronavirus infections include 38 people in a hospital, down one from Wednesday. Of those hospitalized, eight are in critical condition, unchanged from a day before.

McMahon also reported that 561 people have recovered from COVID-19, up 11 from Wednesday.