By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The fate of Ohio’s reopening rests in the numbers.
So Wood County public health officials are keenly watching where those numbers lead in the next few weeks.
“We hit 250 confirmed and probable cases on Monday,” Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Batey said Tuesday during the weekly conference call with elected officials. “Unfortunately, we’re at 42 deaths of Wood County residents.”
Across Ohio, most people have complied with requests to stay home, wear masks, frequently wash hands, and disinfect surfaces.
“We proved we can keep these numbers low,” Batey said.
But now that businesses are gradually opening, it remains to be seen if Ohioans can balance safety with the desire to get back to work and return to socializing.
“Can we maintain this low, steady rate?” Batey said.
One of the first tests occurred last Friday, when restaurant patio areas were allowed to reopen to the public. Photos from some sites in Columbus showed incidents where businesses and patrons disregarded safety regulations. The refusal to follow state directives led Gov. Mike DeWine to announce Monday that businesses not enforcing the rules will be risking their liquor licenses.
“We want to prove the governor right – that we can do two things at once,” by focusing on safety as well as economic well-being, Batey said.
DeWine said he will shut down businesses again if COVID-19 numbers spike as the state opens up.
“Nobody wants to see that,” Batey said.
As summer approaches, the Wood County Health Department is getting several calls from people wondering if recreational programs will occur.
“We only have so many employees at the health department,” Batey said. “We just ask that everyone be patient with us.”
Many questions are being fielded about summertime youth sports.
“How can we get our kids back out playing sports and do it safely?” he said. “As parents we need to be examples for those kids.”
The answer to many questions rests on how well residents balance safety with getting back to business.
“For us, it’s truly just a matter of watching the numbers,” Batey said. If the numbers continue to level out, more activity can open up. If the numbers spike, more activities will go back on hold, he said.
Wood County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Klein echoed those predictions, adding that it may take six weeks or more to know the direction the pandemic is taking in Ohio.
Klein said his office has been receiving calls from local residents reporting businesses where masks are not being worn by employees. One recent call came from a patient concerned about the lack of safety precautions at a local chiropractor’s office.
“If you’re not wearing masks, what else aren’t you doing?” Klein said the public is questioning.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting:
- Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn noted a slow uptick in call volumes as more people go out. The jail population is also increasing slowly, with 84 inmates as of today. So far, no inmates or sheriff’s employees have tested positive for COVID-19, he said.
- Wood County Commissioner Ted Bowlus talked about the need to plan for future pandemics. “We don’t want to go through this again – there are many ways of preventing it,” he said.
- Batey predicted testing capacity would be ramping up soon, followed by more antibody testing.
- Bowlus thanked Batey and Klein for their efforts, which have saved lives in Wood County, he said.
