A second Oneida County resident has died from COVID-19, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente announced Friday during his daily coronavirus briefing.

''Our hearfelt and deepest sympathies go out the families'' of those who've died from disease, he said.

The county executive also said recently returned test results confirmed 11 new cases since his Thursday update, bringing Oneida County's total to 79.

As of Friday:

  • 79 total positive cases
  • 2 deaths
  • 14 currently hospitalized
  • 779 tested
  • 492 negative results
  • 208 still awaiting test results
''It's not the way it should be done,'' Picente said.

Prior to updating Oneida County's numbers on Friday, Picente said he was 'shocked' when he heard earlier in the day of Governor Cuomo's plan to sign an executive order 'redistributing' currently unused ventilators from health care facilities 'upstate'.

When Cuomo discussed his plan during his daily LIVE briefing, Picente said it was the first time he, or the 18 other county executives from across the state heard of the plan. He also noted that President Trump had communicated with the governors of all 50 states since the beginning of the pandemic, but said to date, Cuomo hadn't ''spoken to us once.''

''I will protect this community and work with our providers to assure we have what is needed'', locally, Picente said of Cuomo's earlier announcement about ventilators and PPE, explaining that the county's need is determined by size, not the number of current coronavirus cases. ''First and foremost my concern is for the people of Oneida County.''

Picente called the Governor's mode of surpising upstate leaders and health care facilities with his executive order 'unfortunate.'

''It's not the way it should be done,'' Picente said, adding that he's heard from many in the healthcare community who were caused 'stress and anxiety' when they heard Cuomo say he planned send the National Guard to collect unused ventilators.

''I just think the way that was done,'' Picente said, then stopping to say he respects Cuomo and the way he's handled the pandemic thus far.

''Supposedly there's an executive order. To this point I haven't seen it...there's no clairty, that's the frustration here,'' Picente said. ''Everybody wants to help, but we do have needs in our own community.''

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