The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed Oswego County to place more restrictions including traveling within the city limits and closing playgrounds. Therefore, on Thursday government officials held a press conference to update the public.

“We’ve done our best to limit human interaction, but the fact is that despite our small businesses, most being closed or their services reduced, and despite all the changes we have made so far we still continue to see people out traveling going into stores and acting like everything is all right,” said Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow.

According to him, people have been heading to stores in groups of four or more.

“Parking lots looking like Black Friday,” Barlow said.

They’ve also had mass gathering at houses.

“Students still acting like they are on Spring Break,” Barlow commented.

People taking drives with a fully packed car-these are just some of the things forcing Oswego County to become stricter in social distancing rules.
 The City of Oswego announced the Stop the Spread Stay at Home Order that imposes a local travel ban for non-essential employees.

Especially after there has been an uptick in cases, now more than ever people need to be careful and the local government is putting its foot down.

“It’s so important to take social distancing seriously because if one member of our community gets it by nature we are all closer together than in some cases larger communities,” said Barlow.

One way of laying down the law so that people respect social distancing is to close pools, the Marina and Wright’s Landing until July 13.

“I firmly believe that if we practice social distancing properly now, the less time we have in the long run we have to do it,” said Barlow.

If people are caught violating the order, Oswego Police and Oswego Fire will take a couple measures.

The first is to educate people through pamphlets and issue warnings. If that doesn’t work, a disorderly conduct charge will be issued.

The one thing that will remain open are parks in an effort to give people that slice of normalcy. However, Barlow said if people disobey social distancing guidelines, then those parks will be forced closed.

“I don’t want that to happen, but if it needs to it will,” Barlow said.

He wants us to see the bigger picture.

“We were cooped up all winter, here in Oswego the sun is shining we want to get outside, but let’s not  go outside let’s stay in our homes, practice social distancing and hopefully have a summer to enjoy,” he said.

Therefore, the  sooner we respect boundaries, the better our chances will be to get out of isolation quicker. He added that if anyone sees people breaking the new guidelines to contact your local police department.