By Melody Vallieu
Miami Valley Today
Miami County — Miami County is now reporting 52 positive COVID-19 cases.
According to Miami County Public Health, 25 are female and 27 male, and range in age from 23-94.
The county also has recorded six coronavirus related deaths, all linked to the Koester Pavilion and SpringMeade Health Center outbreak.
There are currently 19 people hospitalized, and 16 of those are nursing home related, according to Miami County Public Health Health Educator and Safe Communities Coordinator Vicky Knisley-Henry.
Knisley-Henry said staff continue to work to unravel which of the cases are related to the nursing homes cluster and which are “community spread.”
“We are working on filtering them, and right now, 14 are not associated with the nursing home outbreak,” Knisley-Henry said.
Knisley-Henry said the rise in positive cases is expected and will continue until the peak, which is now being expected in mid- to late-April.
“This was/is expected. With tests results now becoming available and reported —some labs take 10-14 days to process — and more testing is being done, an increase in positive cases was expected and will continue until the peak.”
MCPH staff said they are receiving a lot of questions about how to stay safe in the workplace and at home if others are sick. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has various resources available for both individuals and employers. They suggest community members visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html for more information.
Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton are recommending continuing social distancing until May 1. This extended time frame puts additional stress on these uncertain times, according to MCPH staff. The Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services has numerous resources available at https://www.tcbmds.org/coronavirus.html.
“While it is important to monitor our whole health, it is important, during this challenging time, to monitor mental wellness,” MCPH staff said.
MCPH officials said they continue to investigate new positive COVID-19 cases in Miami County and will update the community as information becomes available.
In Ohio, there are now 2,199 recorded cases and 55 deaths. There are 585 people who have been hospitalized, 198 of whom have required intensive care.
As of Tuesday, 71 of Ohio’s 88 counties have reported cases.
