coronavirus (COVD19)

There were four new deaths in the region from COVID-19, according to local health departments. Oneida County reported two deaths on Saturday and two on Sunday, bringing the total number of people in the county who have died of COVID-19 to 394. Herkimer County reported no new deaths and remains at a total of 94 deaths from the disease since the pandemic began a year ago.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente delivered a grim report on the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the region, and announced new restrictions and recommendations on Monday.

More big COVID numbers were announced on Sunday by officials in Herkimer and Oneida County.

Herkimer County's Department of Health announced their highest number yet of new positive COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with 41 new positive cases. That brings the total number of active positive cases to a record 311 and and a total of 901 since the pandemic began.

Active cases of COVID-19 are at an all-time high in Herkimer County based on new cases testing positive, according to the Herkimer County Department of Health.

Oneida County is getting very close to a 7-day average of 3-percent of positive COVID-19 tests, which would push it into the Governor's Yellow Zone restrictions. As of yesterday, the county was at a 2.9-percent rolling 7-day average with 57 new positive cases to report as of 12 noon on Sunday. That brings the total number of active COVID cases to 745, and 3,572 since the outbreak began.

The New Hartford Central School District has moved the high school to full virtual learning next week due to the additional spread of a COVID-19 outbreak. Meanwhile, the ban on extra-curricular sports that was lifted Friday afternoon, has now been reinstated.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said on Friday at a press briefing that the county has never seen COVID numbers so high and warned there would have to be restrictions if there wasn't a decrease soon. That decline didn't come on Saturday, as testing resulted in another spike with nearly 700 cases now deemed active.

Saturday was another day of high positive testing in Oneida County in the battle against coronavirus COVID19. There were 51 new positive cases in the county, bringing the total number of active positive cases in the county to 390. Active cases were in single digits one month ago. This rate of active cases is the highest since April 6th, when there were 401 active cases.

There were six new positive coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Oneida County as of noon on Sunday, bringing the total number of people in isolation in the county to 111. The increase remains steady with single digit increases daily for the last week.