Local

COVID-19: Logan County Health Commissioner concerned county will soon enter red level

Bellefontaine — Health officials in Logan County are concerned the county will soon enter the Level 3 ‘Red’ if residents don’t start following proper protocols.

Gov. Mike DeWine’s latest announcement on Thursday kept Logan County at Level 2 ‘Orange,’ but Logan County Health Commissioner Dr. Boyd Hoddinott said he’s seeing more cases on a weekly basis and more of those are coming from ‘community spread.’

COVID-19: Ohio State University suspends more than 200 for violations involving house parties

“We used to have 25 to 33 percent of what we called, ‘community spread’ -- we didn’t know,” he told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson. “Now we’re pushing 50 (percent) and that’s the definition of an outbreak of your county or area.”

Hoddinott said community spread makes it difficult to do the necessary work of contact tracing each case. In rural Logan County, the job is even tougher because the health district is working with very limited staff to do the work -- about five staffers currently.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Preble County begins classes even as county enters Level 3 ‘red’ status

He said it’s also been challenging to get people in Logan County to comply with wearing masks indoors. The health commissioner encouraged people to stay home if they’re sick, wear a mask when they’re not able to social distance and practice frequent hand-washing -- especially as many schools re-open for in-person learning.

“I have orders written up where if we actually go to red, we’ll really significantly decrease or stop indoor gatherings,” he said.

The health district has also placed a big priority on monitoring the levels of carbon dioxide in the county’s schools and making sure they are equipped with the proper air filtration systems.

Preble, Clark and Mercer counties are currently under a level 3 ‘red’ advisory.




Jenna Lawson

Jenna Lawson

I grew up in Springfield and I'm a big fan of all things Springfield, including Schuler's & the Clark County Fair. A career in journalism never really was a serious thought until the end of high school. You just have epiphanies sometimes, and that's the only way I can explain why I got into this line of work – but I'm happier for it!

0
Comments on this article