Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon declared a state of emergency Saturday, as the threat of COVID-19 lingers across communities in Upstate New York.

The declaration was made collectively with Syracuse Major Ben Walsh and superintendents in surrounding school districts.

County officials will wait a week to give schools time to address concerns from parents on child care and food insecurity. If there is a case in the county, schools will close on Wednesday.

“This gives us time to prepare,” Walsh said. “We need to make sure children are fed. Our schools are often the only consistent way our children are fed.”

If parents want to hold students out of school this week, it won’t be held against the students’ attendance record.

“If we can get to Friday, it gives us time to plan,” Walsh said. “We need everyone in this community who is able and ready to step up.”

Jordan-Elbridge, Skaneatele, and Fayetteville-Manlius school districts, however, all said they would be closed as of Monday. As of 9 p.m. Saturday, those were the only three districts to make that decision.

East Syracuse Minoa Superintendent Donna DeSiato helped to lay out the plan from a school's perspective.

“The main message for parents is we understand you have to make the decision. You are your child's first teacher.You are your child's absolute advocate in every day of their life and therefore the decisions you make right now will be respected," she said.

In addition, all non-essential school activities are postponed, McMahon said, in an effort to reduce the amount of time large groups of people are in close proximity.