CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Health Department confirmed Tuesday that the Norwich McDonalds had recently closed its indoor services to customers after several suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported between staff.

According to Chenango County Director of Environmental Health and Code Enforcement Isaiah Sutton the business decided to close the restaurant after learning of the cases. At least two cases have so far been confirmed, with a handful of others quarantined over suspected exposure to the virus.

The business' drive-thru service was open Tuesday but the inside was still closed.

Sutton said there have been no conclusive cases of COVID linked to food transmission, and the primary threat was from being in a closed space and contracting the virus from respiratory exposure.

He said the health department agreed with the business that closing the inside counters to the public was a sound precaution and the interior was cleaned.

He said the the department investigated and found no exposure to customers, and no cases of any customers reporting illness.

The Health Department also confirmed the Oxford Academy School had switch to remote learning last week and canceled in-person classes, after a number of suspected and confirmed COVID cases were reported in the local community and school. Sutton said the situation raised alarms with school officials, leading to the decision.

To read more about the details the health department's response to these local COVID outbreaks and how they release certain information, and how a vaccine might be delivered in the coming weeks, read a follow-up article in tomorrow's Evening Sun.

-Sun Managing Editor Tyler Murphy