Washington County topped 184 total Covid-19 cases on Sunday and 40 percent of those have come since August 1, according to information released from the Indiana State Department of Health.
In the last week, there have been 20 new cases and 12 since Friday.
As all three county schools are now shuttered and turning to online classes while buildings are disinfected and students and staff are quarantined, health officials struggle for answers.
Around Indiana, there were 618 new cases with 2 new deaths with 8,354 new tests. The number of deaths in Indiana since March is 3,002.
During a recent appearance on WSLM’s Coffee Club, Washington County Health Nurse Alicia Thompson said she felt the numbers were increasing due to people trying to get back to normal.
“[The numbers have been up a lot) have a lot lately. I think that’s everybody getting out, going to entertainment venues, getting together for different kinds of parties…and they started going up very quickly,” she said.
Thompson said the vast majority of new positives are adults.
“Businesses are open and most people are still not taking this seriously or believe that it won’t affect them much,” she said. “The problem with that thinking is that it may not affect you much but you may then inadvertently pass it along to someone who can not tolerate it well and it could potentially kill.”
Face masks are required in most retail stores, schools and sporting events, along with social distancing and increased detail to handwashing.
Although many businesses are now allowed to be open, Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb was on track to completely open Indiana to its last stage but halted at Stage 4.5 until August 27.
There have been about a dozen days of 1,000 plus new cases (with many more days over 500).
The governor address the state in his next press conference on WSLM 97.9 FM and WSLM 1220 AM on Wednesday, August 26 at 2:30p.
In Washington County, there has been only one death and according to the Regenstrief Institute, there is a recovery rate in Indiana of 78 percent.
The daily death rate hit a high of 50 on April 22 and has dipped as low as one or two per day.
In Washington County there have been 9 total Covid-19 hospitalizations, 41 emergency room visits, 6 ICU admits and one the one death in a hospital.
In relation, Clark County has had 125 hospitalizations, 219 ER visits, 56 ICU admits and 17 deaths.
East Washington and West Washington Schools both started back on August 5.
East Washington closed its middle and high school earlier this week due to cases of Covid among staff. They are expected to return to in-person classes after two weeks.
Salem closed its schools on Friday for two weeks and West Washington announced earlier today that it would go to online education for at least five days, although that could change by Monday after contact tracing is performed.
WSLM will continue to provide daily reports on the statewide and local totals as well as up to date information from our local schools.
For more from the Washington County Health Department – read this – https://wslmradio.com/2020/08/14/21-questions-with-washington-county-health-nurse/
AUGUST BY THE NUMBERS
- August 1 – 3 cases
- August 2 – 8 cases
- August 3 – 1 case
- August 4 – 1 case
- August 5 – 0 cases
- August 6 – 0 cases
- August 7 – 4 cases
- August 8 – 18 cases
- August 9 – 1 case
- August 10 – 2 cases
- August 11 – 0 cases
- August 12 – 2 cases
- August 13 – 4 cases
- August 14 – 5 cases
- August 15 – 6 cases
- August 16 – 0 cases
- August 17 – 3 cases
- August 18 – 0 cases
- August 19 – 1 case
- August 20 – 4 cases
- August 21 – 3 cases
- August 22 – 9 cases
