“We have been seeing cases in 60′s, 70′s and 80′s. This last week, so from Friday (Oct. 25) to today (Oct. 2), we had 130 confirmed cases. That’s almost double the number of cases we’ve been seeing," Patterson said on Friday during his weekly press conference on the status of COVID-19 in the county. “That’s problematic. That’s the highest weekly total we have had in a very long time. We really have some problems in the community this week and those numbers begin to highlight that."
One of the biggest things driving the case numbers up, Patterson said, is outbreaks at long-term care facilities.
The district is currently monitoring three long-term care facility outbreaks: Forest Glen Health Campus in Springfield, Northwood Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation in Springfield and Vancrest of New Carlisle.
As of Wednesday, Forest Glen had 34 active resident cases, five active staff cases and one death, Northwood had 25 active resident cases, two active staff cases and a total of eight confirmed and one probable death and Vancrest had 13 active resident cases and five active staff cases, according to data from the CCCHD.
“That’s about 90 cases from just those three long-term care facilities alone. That is what is really driving our numbers forward. We are working closely with those facilities to make sure that they have the correct personal protective equipment and that their people are fit tested so that we can slow these down,” Patterson said.
Outside of long-term care facilities, Patterson said the rest of the county’s cases are coming from “community spread.” He noted cases from a handful of school districts, families where all members test positive and “just folks from the community.”
One and two cases here and there ''add up pretty quickly across a community of our size," Patterson said.
Clark County had 1,920 cases, 41 deaths and four probable deaths of the coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Ohio reported 156,809 total cases and 4,905 deaths of the coronavirus on Friday, according to ODH. Between Thursday and Friday, the state reported 1,495 new cases and 88 new deaths — both of which are above the 21-day average of 1,023 and 24.
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