Murphy’s Anti-Racism Resolution Approved

With 3 COVID Cases In Oneonta,

Mayor Reaffirms Need For Caution

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – With three new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the City of Oneonta, Mayor Gary Herzig implored business owners and citizens to continue wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands.

“We’ve had six weeks without any cases, so to have three new ones is a significant wake-up call,” he said during tonight’s Common Council meeting. “People are telling me that they see that things have lapsed, people aren’t wearing masks in stores or on the streets. But the risk is still real.”

Additionally, the Mohawk Valley cases on the whole were also continuing to rise, putting the region at risk for being put back on PAUSE.

Herzig reported that many businesses in the area had not affirmed their compliance with the NY Forward guidelines, but offered a enticement – businesses who complete the guidelines can receive free hand sanitizer and a no-touch thermometer.

“None of us want to see our city closed down,” Herzig said. “None of us want to get sick or see people die. But it can happen if we’re not wearing masks or social distancing.”

Also during the meeting, Council Member Luke Murphy, First Ward, put forth his first resolution, affirming that Common Council “ensure that all its citizens receive equal treatment under the law, supports actions that ensure equity in the way our community is policed, and furthermore renounces all acts of racism committed within its borders, by law enforcement and citizens alike.”

The vote was unanimous.