By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Now is not the time to be complacent – about face coverings or COVID testing or transparency with the public, according to Bowling Green City Council members who spoke at their Tuesday meeting.
Council President Mark Hollenbaugh recounted discussions in May about the opening up of businesses being successful only if masks were worn. In July, City Council mandated masks in Bowling Green. Soon after, Ohio followed suit statewide.
Lately, however, Hollenbaugh said he has noticed more people not wearing masks in public.
“People are becoming very weary of wearing masks all the time,” he said.
But Hollenbaugh urged local citizens to continue wearing masks – especially as cold weather returns and people are spending more time inside, and cold and flu season arrives.
“Everybody needs to hang in there and continue to be vigilant, and hopefully we can push through this until there is a vaccine,” Hollenbaugh said.
Also at the meeting, council member Neocles Leontis urged Mayor Mike Aspacher to insist on answers about COVID testing from Bowling Green State University. Leontis, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at BGSU, referred to the number of positive cases on campus going from 20 last week to 40 this week.
“We could be at the beginning of a real outbreak,” Leontis said.
The key to preventing an outbreak is testing and transparency, he said.
“That’s all we’re asking for – more transparency,” Leontis said.
In addition to other questions posed to BGSU officials, Leontis had a few of his own that he asked Aspacher to get answers on from university administrators:
- How many tests of random students or faculty or staff has BGSU done each week of the fall semester so far? How many will BGSU carry out next week and the week after?
- Based on the tests of random students and the fact that there are about 13,000 BGSU students in town, what is your current estimate of the number of infected students in town right now and how has that changed from week to week so far – so we can detect any trends.
- What is the Bowling Green estimate of the number of infected people in the city as a whole (residents and students)?
- How many instances of contact tracing has BGSU undertaken last week with students/faculty/staff? How many will it undertake this week and next? What are the rates of infection detected by contact tracing?
- How is BGSU isolating students who live on campus and test positive?
- How is BGSU isolating students who live off campus and test positive?
- What percentage of students/faculty/staff are using the Campus Clear app on a daily basis?
- How many people has the Campus Clear app kept off of campus because of their symptoms in the last week?
Aspacher said he has been in close contact with BGSU President Rodney Rogers and has faith in the university’s approach to COVID.
“Of course, I remain concerned about COVID and our community,” Aspacher said.
“I have every confidence” that BGSU is relying on science and consultation with experts of COVD prevention and response, he said.
“I do believe they are committed to doing all they can” to control the spread in the community, Aspacher said of Rogers and BGSU Chief Health Officer Ben Batey.
