As of Monday, Highland County has had a total of 231 lab-confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, according to the Highland County Health Department.

In a previous Facebook post, Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner stated that probable cases must “[meet] clinical criteria AND epidemiologic evidence with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19” or “[meet] presumptive laboratory evidence AND either clinical criteria OR epidemiologic evidence.”

As of Monday, the health department had documented 20 probable cases in Highland County since the pandemic began.

The health department also reported that as of Monday there were currently seven actively sick patients and two COVID-19-related hospitalizations, and the health department is currently monitoring 19 people for symptoms.

In a Monday Facebook post to the Highland County Health Department’s page, Warner said, “Case counts in Highland County continue to be very low, and we would like to keep them that way. As we begin getting into colder weather and begin spending more time indoors with each other, we are expecting case counts to pick up again. We will continue our work at the health department to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Highland County.”

According to Warner, the health department will begin reporting local school districts’ COVID-19 cases this week. However, since Highland County schools were closed last week for the fair, the health department will not begin reporting these cases to the state until Sept. 22.

Warner requested that community members have patience with the health department and the schools while they adjust to this new reporting process.

He also congratulated all 2020 Highland County Jr. Fair participants and recognized the fair board’s hard work, “especially as the rules kept being changed on all of us during the summer.”

Since the COVID-19 outbreak reached Highland County, there have been a total of 24 COVID-19-related hospitalizations three COVID-19-related deaths, and 221 patients have recovered from COVID-19.

According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), which reported 212 cases in the county to date as of Monday, of the cases in Highland County:

* 36 cases involved 50- to 59-year-olds, three of whom were hospitalized.

* 36 cases involved 40- to 49-year-olds, three of whom were hospitalized.

* 34 cases involved 70- to 79-year-olds, eight of whom were hospitalized and one of whom later died.

* 33 cases involved 60- to 69-year-olds, four of whom were hospitalized.

* 30 cases involved 20- to 29-year-olds, one of whom was hospitalized.

* 20 cases involved 30- to 39-year-olds, one of whom was hospitalized.

* 19 cases involved 0- to 19-year-olds, one of whom was hospitalized.

* Three cases involved someone 80 years old or older, all of whom were hospitalized and two of whom later died.

* One case involved someone of an unknown age range.

As of Thursday, Highland County remains at a level 1 public emergency, which represents active COVID-19 exposure and spread.

In mid-July, the ODH upgraded Highland County to a level 2 public emergency, which represents increased COVID-19 exposure and spread. The county remained a level 2 public emergency until Aug. 20, when it returned to a level 1 rating.

For more information about ODH’s public health advisory system, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/public-health-advisory-system/.

For more information on the COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.