Oneida-Herkimer Daily COVID Update for December 22

Oneida County's streak of COVID related deaths continued in the latest virus report, while Herkimer County nearly reached triple-digits for the first time since the pandemic began.

Oneida County

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente decried New York's vaccine distribution plan on Tuesday, criticizing state officials for utilizing public health departments, instead relying what he called already overburdened hospital systems.

The county executive also announced the latest COVID numbers in the county on Tuesday, which included 222 new positive tests and two more virus-related deaths. Sadly, it continued a streak that dates back to November 25. Since, the county has lost at least one resident to the virus each day. Fifteen has died in the last four days, while the county's total death toll from coronavirus now sits just shy of 200, at 198.

The number of county residents hospitalized with the virus has remained relatively flat for the last week-plus. A total of 137 Oneida County residents are in the hospital being treated for the COVID-19 symptoms - 127 in Oneida County hospitals, and 10 more outside the county, 18 are in Intensive Care Units.

After increasing everyday to new record highs for the last month, the county's active case total finally dropped in Tuesday's report, falling from more than 5,000 cases to just under 3,800.

Herkimer County

Herkimer County added 91 new cases in Tuesday's update, by far a new record for new cases in a single day.  That pushed the county's active case total to a new high of 690.

The number of hospitalized residents jumped from 12 to 19 from Monday's update.

Herkimer County's coronavirus death toll was unchanged, at 15.

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