The Otsego County Department of Health is investigating 9 cases of coronavirus reported yesterday. We reported on the five infected SUNY Oneonta students who live off-campus. The other 4 cases are high school students who contracted the virus following a gathering they mutually attended. Contact tracing is underway in all cases.

The 9 additional cases in the county brings the active COVID-19 case list to 15 with one person hospitalized.

With cases on the rise, the county is reminding residents of the CDC recommendations for slowing the spread of the coronavirus:

Wash your hands often, especially:

  • before eating or preparing food
  • Before touching your face
  • After using the restroom
  • After leaving a public place
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After handling your mask
  • After changing a diaper
  • After caring for someone sick
  • After touching animals or pets

In addition:
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
-Avoid close contact with others
- Inside your home: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If possible, maintain 6 feet between the person who is sick and other household members.
- Outside your home: Put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
- Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread virus.
Stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people.
- Keeping distance from others is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others
-You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
- The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected. Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.
- Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
- Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
Then, use a household disinfectant.

Monitor Your Health Daily
- Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
- Especially important if you are running essential errands, going into the office or workplace, and in settings where it may be difficult to keep a physical distance of 6 feet.
- Take your temperature if symptoms develop.
- Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
- Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

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