As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb, Highland County and surrounding counties remain on the lower end of state-wide totals.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Ohio’s total number of COVID-19 cases stood at 20,969.
Highland County has one of the lower state-wide COVID-19 totals. On Monday, Highland County Emergency Operations Center Public Information Officer Lt. Branden Jackman told Facebook viewers that the number of cases in the county stood at 13.
Going into Saturday, Jackman explained, the health department was tracking six total cases — three active and three probable — but as two probable cases recovered, another case was confirmed.
“We’re currently standing at eight recovered, and five that we’re currently tracking,” Jackman said.
On Monday afternoon, the Highland County Health Department announced the county’s first COVID-19-related death.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio’s first cases of COVID-19 were identified on Monday, March 9 in Cuyahoga County.
Since that time, every county in the state has reported cases of COVID-19, ranging from only three cases each in Pike, Meigs and Vinton Counties to the Franklin County/Columbus total, which was near the 3,000-mark Tuesday.
In the six-county region bordering Highland County, Ross County health authorities reported a total of 40 COVID-19 cases, one probable, and 12 recovered.
Fayette County Public Health in Washington Court House reported 19 confirmed cases and two probable cases, with 14 recoveries.
The Brown County Health Department announced Friday that Brown County had no current active cases, but it had tracked 11 confirmed and five probable cases since mid-March.
Brown County Health Department also reported one death and another that had been hospitalized in Florida but had since been released. Fourteen individuals have recovered.
Also on Friday, the Clinton County Health District reported a total of 31 cases: 25 confirmed and six probable.
At press time, Adams County had five confirmed cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571
