Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner reported a slight decrease in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the county as of Friday.
Warner said that, in the seven days preceding Friday, the health department saw between 22 and 35 new cases each day, or 401 new cases over the past two weeks.
“While this is a decrease in case counts, we did move into the top 25 percent for per capita rates in Ohio this week,” Warner wrote in a Friday Facebook post on the health department’s page. “Overall though, I am hoping this is the start of a slow down.”
Warner added that, after increasing rapidly during October and November, the county’s hospitalization rates were slowing.
As of Friday, Warner said the health department still expects a shipment of 100 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in the county on Tuesday.
“Moderna is a vaccine that does not require the ultra-cold vaccine storage temperatures that Pfizer required, which makes things much more manageable for small health departments like ours,” Warner wrote.
An update was not available from the Highland County Health Department as of press time.
The following are Highland County’s overall COVID-19 statistics as of Friday:
Highland County has had a total of 1,804 lab-confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, according to the Highland County Health Department.
The health department reported that there were 331 actively sick patients. The health department is monitoring 737 Highland County residents for symptoms, though the health department urges those who know they have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case to begin quarantine independently.
Warner previously stated that the health department is no longer able to track the current number of patients hospitalized due to Covid. As of Monday, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) reported 93 total hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Highland County.
According to the ODH, which reported 1,890 cumulative cases in the county as of Monday, of the cases in Highland County:
* 295 cases involved 50- to 59-year-olds. Of these cases, 13 resulted in hospitalization.
* 274 cases involved 40- to 49-year-olds. Of these cases, six resulted in hospitalization.
* 266 cases involved 30- to 39-year-olds. Of these cases, one resulted in hospitalization.
* 258 cases involved 60- to 69-year-olds. Of these cases, 21 resulted in hospitalization, and two resulted in death.
* 245 cases involved 20- to 29-year-olds. Of these cases, one resulted in hospitalization.
* 207 cases involved 0- to 19-year-olds. Of these cases, two resulted in hospitalization.
* 206 cases involved 70- to 79-year-olds. Of these cases, 29 resulted in hospitalization, and six resulted in death.
* 132 cases involved someone 80 years old or older. Of these cases, 19 resulted in hospitalization, and 10 resulted in death.
* Seven cases involved patients of unknown ages. Of these cases, one resulted in hospitalization.
Warner previously stated that there is a delay in the reporting process between individual counties and the ODH.
For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Reach McKenzie Caldwell at 937-402-2570.
