COVID-19 has already had an impact this school year on high school athletes, however, with the Fairfield-Springfield football game originally slated for Friday being canceled. Fairfield called the game off because of COVID-19 protocols.
Patterson said that the health district is encouraging parents to send their students to school with masks, but is not mandating the use of masks in the county.
The health commissioner said during the weekly livestream that the health district has been monitoring the situation in schools “very closely.”
“We still are allowing school districts to make their own choices,” Patterson said. “But we’re watching that very carefully.”
He said that the county’s school districts have reported dozens of cases, but the infections may not be occurring inside the school buildings.
“We don’t have enough data yet that shows that there is spread within schools,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re still encouraging [masks].”
Springfield City Schools has mandated the use of face masks for its students in kindergarten through grade six.
School districts in Clark County reported a total of 20 COVID-19 cases for the week of Aug. 17-23, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s school district dashboard’s Thursday update.
Cases reported on ODH’s dashboard lag one week, meaning cases reported were from Aug. 17-23.
Fifty percent of the county’s vaccine-eligible population has been vaccinated, Patterson said. Those who are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine are any Clark Countian over the age of 12. According to the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard, roughly 43.2% of the county’s population has completed their vaccine series, with 57,873 total vaccines administered countywide.
As of Friday, the health district’s stock of the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine is dwindling, with the supply expected to run out by the end of the day, Patterson said. The health district has been unable to order the Johnson and Johnson vaccine from the state for nearly a month, Patterson said.
Those hoping to receive the one-dose vaccine can call around to the area’s retail pharmacies, and the health district may be able to help those wishing to receive this vaccine in finding it.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination, which received approval from the Food and Drug Administration this week, is still available at the health district’s vaccine clinics, which operate six days of the week.
Patterson also discussed the spread of COVID-19 misinformation, particularly in terms of the treatment of COVID-19 once a person is infected. For example, Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine have been proven not to work in terms of treating COVID-19, he said.
“Both of those are more damaging than the vaccine itself, but not necessarily more damaging than COVID-19… they’ve just been proven not to help with COVID-19,” Patterson said.
The health district is considering expanding its hours for COVID-19 testing at the Coronavirus Testing and Evaluation Center, which reopened earlier this month, due to an increased need for testing in the area.
For now, appointments are available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Those who wish to schedule a drive-thru appointment at the center’s High Street location in Springfield can contact the health district at 937-717-2436.
As of Friday, 15,347 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Clark County, with 315 deaths reported and 565 hospitalizations, according to ODH.
By the numbers
43.2: Percentage of Clark County residents who have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series
15,347: Total number of coronavirus cases reported in Clark County
315: Total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Clark County
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