In his briefing today, Gov. Mike DeWine addressed the “shocking number of new cases today,” the highest daily count reported for Ohio. ICU admissions are up above the 21-day average, hospitalizations are up as well. Deaths are running about the same as the 21-day average. The number of patients in Ohio hospitals as of Wednesday remains a very high number. Ohio is continuing the trend of seeing fewer people presenting to emergency departments with COVID related complaints which is a good sign.
Good news: There are fewer red counties, with Wood County remaining at the orange level this week. Indicator data is now available for all 88 counties on the coronavirus website. The urban counties that have had the mask orders the longest are seeing a significant decrease of where the line was going. They are still at a high rate, but there is a dramatic slowdown. Mask compliance is also going up significantly.
Bad news: A lot more orange counties, a lot fewer yellow counties. This means it is spreading out into the rural areas. The mask compliance is significantly less in the rural areas.
DeWine unveiled the latest Public Health Advisory System, which saw a reduction in the number of red counties and no counties identified as on the watch list for going purple. Those that have been lowered from red to orange are Athens, Clark, Clermont, Defiance, Delaware, Union, Hardin, Pickaway, Richland and Scioto.
The governor spoke about several specific anecdotes to demonstrate the far reach of these gatherings and events on the spread of the virus.
DeWine said he continues to have concerns about bars. Ohio has seen outbreaks associated with bars. While some of the bar owners are doing a good job and following directions, not every bar is doing this, he said. OIU found overcrowded bars last weekend. There are inherent problems connected with bars, DeWine said – the frequent in and out, close contact, indoor setting, and the interaction with many different people. These factors are benign in normal times, but these are not normal times.
The governor said he does not want to shut down Ohio bars and restaurants but we do have to take some action to see what kind of results we get. Therefore, the governor is asking the Liquor Commission to pass an emergency rule to prohibit the sale of alcohol after 10 p.m. in bars and restaurants. If ordered prior to the 10 p.m. cutoff, customers are allowed to consume their drinks until 11 p.m.
The Liquor Commission is scheduled to vote on this emergency rule Friday at 9 a.m., after which DeWine will issue an order to take place by Friday evening. The proposed emergency rule does include every site that serves alcohol, and will continue the practice of allowing restaurants to carry out drinks, newly expanded to three drinks.
DeWine stated he is reissuing in a different format for the mass gathering order. People are still allowed to have people in their home. Exceptions have not changed. Informal gatherings have shown a significant amount of spread. Ohio does remain at a 10-person limit to gatherings.
New recommendations:
1. Gatherings at a household should be limited to close friends and family. Recommended 10 visitors or less.
2. Residents in red or purple counties should limit hosting or attending gatherings of any size.
3. Wear a mask at all times at gatherings and at all times maintain physical distance.
4. Take out and dining out – should only be done if distancing can be maintained
5. Take extra precautions when you go to bars and nightclubs.
6. Protect anyone with serious medical conditions at your home, with distancing, masks, increased hygiene.
7. High risk individuals should take extra precautions to limit the amount of people they interact with.
8. Keep your circle as small as possible.
These will be up in the new order, same substance but now all in one place with these strong recommendations.
Ohio Confirmed Cases: 84,862
Ohio Probable Cases: 4,764
Ohio Total Confirmed plus Probable: 89,626
Ohio Hospitalizations: 10,678
ICU Admissions: 2,534
Ohio Confirmed COVID Deaths: 3,177
Ohio Probable COVID Deaths: 265
*For daily state hospitalization data please visit: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards/key-metrics/hospitalizations/key-metrics-on-hospitalizations scroll to the bottom, find the date you are looking for and hover your mouse over that bar.
Wood County Cases (total plus probable): 857
Wood County Hospitalizations: 92
Wood County Deaths: 58
Wood County Active Cases: 133
County EOC Objectives:
1. Coordinate the county’s response to limit spread of COVID-19; and maintain medical care.
2. Provide timely, clear, and consistent messaging to the public, stakeholders and media on the status of COVID-19 and actions the public can take to keep themselves safe.
3. Determine how county agencies will continue delivery of essential services to Wood County residents while following COVID-19 public health guidelines.
4. Prevent, identify, mitigate, and respond to COVID19 hotspots within the county.
EMA:
State EMA: Join Laura Adcock, Disaster Recovery Branch Chief of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, as she discusses the different grant opportunities that are available to you. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions about these opportunities. Aug. 7, at 1 p.m. Registration is limited to 100 people per session. To register for either webinar, click: http://ow.ly/8rBV50AE019 You will receive an email confirmation directly from Zoom after registering for the webinar. (From 8am report)-
Over the past 24 hours, the Ohio Department of Health reported 1,396 (87,893) total new cases, 40 (3,422) deaths, 120 (10,553) hospitalizations, and 25 (2,513) ICU admissions, which were all above their respective 21-day averages. No new Hot Spots were identified in the last 24 hours. ODH is monitoring a total of 15 Hot Spots across the state.
Warehouse capacity continues to be monitored as inbound supplies increase. State stockpiling and storage strategies continue to be developed through ESF-7 and the State EOC Unified Command. Several employees at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) made the announcement Wednesday. They reported that 10 employees have tested positive since the start of the outbreak. Six of those employees have already recovered. ODRC also reported that 20 inmates are currently in quarantine, and five additional inmates are awaiting test results.
Several Ohio residents have notified the Ohio Department of Agriculture that they have received unsolicited packages in the mail containing seeds that appear to have originated from China. It’s unknown what type of seeds are in the packets that have been received recently across the U.S. The concerns are that the unsolicited seeds could be invasive species, contain noxious weeds, could introduce diseases to local plants, or could be harmful to livestock. Invasive species and noxious weeds can displace native plants and increase costs of food production. People receiving packages of these seeds are asked to not plant them. If they are in sealed packaging, people are cautioned to not even open the sealed package. You can report the seeds to ODA Website: https://arcg.is/HiKH9 or you may contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Anti-smuggling Hotline by calling 800-877-3835 or by emailing SITC.Mail@aphis.usda.gov. People receiving the seeds are also asked to retain the original packaging, since that information may be useful to trade compliance officers as they work through this issue.
Wood County is still at a level 2 or orange level. Level 2 indicates: Increased exposure and spread. Exercise high degree of caution. Follow all current health orders. Same guidelines as in Level 1.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is considered high-risk.
• High-risk individuals should take extra care to follow precautions.
• Decrease in-person interactions outside household.
• Seek medical care as needed, but limit or avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities to see others as much as possible.
Ohio’s Public Health Advisory System is updated every Thursday. The system consists of four levels that provide Ohioans with guidance as to the severity of the problem in the counties in which they live. The levels are determined by seven data indicators that identify the risk level for each county and a corresponding color code to represent that risk level.
The Wood County EMA has a few cloth masks left for local government entities. Please contact us if you have a need. These will be given on a first come first served basis.
Please contact us:
– If you have PPE to donate, if you have any PPE needs or have any questions.
– The EMA has kits containing masks and hand sanitizer to be designated for local small businesses (under 100 total employees) that we will be able to push out soon. If you own a small business with less than 100 employees and are interested, please email us at woodcountyema@co.wood.oh.us .
– If you know citizens looking to purchase masks, please connect them with our office and we can give them the contact information of local mask sellers.
– The EMA has kits for Wood County for-profit small businesses (under 100 employees) that contain PPE and hand sanitizer. These kits were provided through JobsOhio to Wood County Economic Development. These kits are first come, first served. Please email us with your business name, address, point of contact, and how many employees you have if you are interested.
Public Health:
There are 84,862 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ohio. There have been 857 cases (total confirmed plus probable) in Wood County, presently 133 active cases, 92 of those are or have been hospitalized, 58 deaths.
A new health commissioner has been selected in Wood County after the previous commissioner, Ben Batey, resigned from his position. Benjamin Robison was voted in Tuesday night during a special meeting of the Wood County Board of Health. Robison has roots in Bowling Green and spent the last five years leading emergency planning and response efforts for the Ohio Department of Health.
New signage is available to communicate the statewide mask mandate. Download a PDF at: www.coronavirus.woodcountyhealth.org .
A reminder to employers that requirements for workplaces remain in place. These include ensuring social distancing as much as possible, requiring masks unless one of the approved exceptions, encouraging sick employees to stay home. Also, even though testing is more readily available, it is not recommended that employers require a negative test for an employee to return to work or a letter from a doctor or the health department. The health department does not provide such letters. Employers can find more information at https://bitly.com/2CmSkod .
People who have been tested and are looking for test results should have received the information about how to get their results when they were tested. Do not call the health department for results.
Case follow-up and contact tracing – Confirmed and probable cases are reported to the health department. Several health department staff are involved in contacting cases and their close contacts to ensure isolation and quarantine guidelines are followed. In addition, a UT professor has enlisted a pool of trained nursing and other students to help the health department with interviews of cases and their close contacts.
Testing – testing locations and other local information, as well as links to ODH and CDC resources, can be found at Coronavirus.WoodCountyHealth.org and https://sites.google.com/view/wchdohio-coronavirus/home/Testing
Healthcare:
Several local long term care/nursing facilities in Perrysburg are having staff National Guard testing on Friday. This is testing that is being required by the state. The staff of these types of facilities will be regularly tested as a directive of the state.
For agency resource requests, please contact us at: woodcountyema@co.wood.oh.us .
BGSU:
Now publishing a situation report once/week. Our return to campus plan involves taking personal responsibility not only for your own well-being, but the health and safety of our entire campus community. The following safety protocols are at the center of this commitment to self-care and community, and will remain in effect until further notice. https://www.bgsu.edu/coronavirus/return-to-campus/before-arriving-on-campus.html
Fall semester classes will now start on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
To best plan and to lessen the impact COVID-19 may have on our campuses, in-person classes will end on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The last week of classes will be Nov. 30-Dec. 4, and will be conducted remotely. Final exam week will be Dec. 7-11, and will also be conducted remotely. In addition, to provide maximized flexibility, we have also canceled Winter Session in 2021.
Based upon current planning, classes for spring semester will now begin on Jan. 11, 2021, and end on April 30, 2021.
Wood County Fair:
Results of Wood County Fair’s Special Senior Fair Board meeting July 29:
No gate admission will be charged for the 2020 fair.
All grandstand events, entertainment and rides are canceled.
Six wristbands will be issued to junior fair livestock exhibitors and king and queen contestants. These wrist bands are to be given to (parents/assistants) to allow admission into the pavilion and the royalty contest. No one without a band will be admitted during shows/event.
All non-equine, market and breeding livestock will be on the grounds for no more than two days. There may be changes in your normal times, but the shows are relatively on their scheduled days. Champions, and animals marketed through the fair board may have to stay on the grounds a little longer depending on the availability of trucks, and other variables.
Showmanship classes will be held (with the possible exception of rabbits).
Camping will be permitted in 2020. If someone does not wish to camp in 2020 their fee can be rolled into 2021.
Preferred parking fees will be rolled into 2021.
Feeder calf sale will be live auction Thursday, Aug. 6, at 9 a.m. Animals will be released as soon as they are paid for after the sale. Bidders, exhibitors and parents only will be permitted in the building.
All animals will be housed in the barns, there will be no showing off of trailers. Trucks and trailers need to go to the north parking lot after unloaded.
Showmanship sweepstakes will be held Friday, Aug. 7, depending on the availability of animals. Please see your department chairs.
Catch a pig contest is canceled for this year. Sponsorships will be rolled to 2021.
Some food vendors will be on the grounds. At this point we are not sure who, or how many.
The fine arts building, woman’s world and grange buildings will be closed.
The junior fair building will be open for the junior fair kids and clover buds to display their projects on a voluntary basis.
Golf cart sponsors will be rolled to 2021.
More information will follow as it becomes available.
Local:
Village of Walbridge: Mosquito control spraying will be tonight beginning at 9, weather permitting.
The Wood County Commissioners have approved the use of up to $250,000 of federal CARES Act funds for the Wood County Small Business Relief Program. The new program will provide eligible small businesses with up to $5,000 to cover business interruption expenses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For details go to our website at www.bgchamber.net/coronavirus/ .
Northwood: On Behalf of the Parks and Recreation Department, the Movie Nights in the Park scheduled for August 1st and 22nd at Brentwood park have been cancelled.
Cocoon: Updated response to serving survivors during COVID-19. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we have looked at all scenarios and risks and continue to be committed to the health and well-being of survivors, our staff and their families while continuing to carry out our mission. Therefore, the following will be in effect until Oct. 31. All crisis support services and emergency safe shelter will remain operational. Our doors will remain closed to visitors. Anyone interested in dropping off a donation must call 419-373-1730, ext. 1002 in advance to make an appointment. Donations will be handed off outside of our building. In the event of an in-person meeting, social distancing and mask guidelines must be followed. If a survivor is unable/ unwilling to wear a mask, the meeting must be conducted virtually. If a survivor is willing to wear a mask but does not have one, one will be provided by The Cocoon. Staff will continue to work remotely and in-office on a rotating schedule. Staff must continue to take temperatures upon arrival for their shift and report any COVID-19 symptoms to their supervisor immediately. The disinfecting schedule for shelter and the administration portion of the building will remain in effect. All in-person Cocoon events have been cancelled through Dec. 31, with some events going virtual. Staff are instructed to conduct meetings virtually whenever possible. A rigorous shift exchange and disinfection schedule will be implemented for all after hours on-call volunteers. We appreciate all of the support and understanding from our community as we continue to fulfill our mission of providing safety, healing and justice for all those suffering abuse. For more information on our services or to find out how you can provide support, visit www.thecocoon.org today. If you are in need of help, call our 24/7 crisis line at 419-373-1730 and select option #2 to speak directly with an advocate.
