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79 COVID-19 cases in Clay County as face coverings required in public on July 27
COVID-19 data is sometimes different at the state level than at the local level, which is why the Clay County Health Department information is used for updating the community.
Clay County Health Nurse Kim Hyatt confirmed Indiana State Department of Health shows Clay County’s positive COVID-19 cases rose again as of Thursday, July 23, to 79, with one patient hospitalized.
The Indiana State Department of Health shows data for District 7 in the Wabash Valley, including:
• VIGO - 332 Positive Cases among the 8,669 tested, with nine deaths.
• GREENE - 218 Positive Cases among the 2,828 tested, with 34 deaths.
• PUTNAM - 198 Positive Cases among the 3,182 tested, with eight deaths.
• CLAY - 79(76 listed by state) Positive Cases among the 2,078 tested, with five deaths.
• SULLIVAN - 66 Positive Cases among the 1,879 tested, with one death.
• OWEN - 65 Positive Cases among the 2,049 tested, with one death.
• PARKE - 35 Positive Cases among the 1,053 tested, with no deaths reported.
• VERMILLION - 20 Positive Cases among the 1,000 tested, with no deaths reported.
District 7 shows a positive COVID-19 test rate at 4.4 percent, with the total of residents tested at 22,738 (571 new test results) and confirmation of a total 1,010 cases, with 33 new cases reported since Monday.
The ISDH reports overall 59,602 positive cases among the 6.7 million Indiana residents, with 666,283 residents tested, and 2,683 deaths reported. The state’s data suggests that the increasing number of Indiana residents tested has lowered the overall percentage of Indiana residents to 8.9 percent. (The data is provisional, reflecting only the information published to the ISDH.)
This data trend of COVID-19 on the rise throughout the state caused Gov. Eric J. Holcomb to announce Hoosiers 8-years old and older will have to wear face coverings in most public settings starting July 27.
“As we continue to monitor the data, we’ve seen a concerning change in some of our key health indicators,” Gov. Holcomb said during a Wednesday press conference. “Hoosiers have worked hard to help re-open our state, and we want to remain open. By masking up, we can and will save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19.”
Exceptions for medical purposes, disabilities, exercising, and eating and drinking are part of the mandate which hopes to focus on education to enforce the order.
However, Holcomb hopes to avoid Hoosiers’ “pushing back” about the statewide order because of a potential penalty for violating it could result in a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a possible 180-day jail sentence up to a $1,000 fine. Holcomb made a point in his belief in people’s sense of “civic duty and pride,” saying the “mask police will not be patrolling Hoosier streets.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US), there are 3,882,167 cases reported in the United States (63,028 new cases reported), with 141,677 deaths (1,047 new deaths).
According to CDC health officials, recent studies show a significant portion of individuals with COVID-19 lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”), and those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others.
COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses or be inhaled into nearby people’s lungs.
Cloth face coverings recommended by health officials ARE NOT personal protective equipment (PPE) like surgical masks or respirators. Cloth face coverings can be homemade.
A face covering needs to cover the nose, mouth and fit snuggly around the face correctly, and allow for easy breathing, to help protect others if you’re infected with COVID-19 but don’t have symptoms. Don’t touch the face covering or move it around your neck or face, and, if you do, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer to disinfect.
REMEMBER - Take a face covering off carefully to prevent potential contact with COVID-19. Untie the strings behind your head or stretch the ear loops avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing. Fold outside corners of the cover together before disposing or placing it in a washing machine or preparing to clean/sanitize the cover, which should be done after every use.
The World Health Organization lists COVID-19 in 216 countries, areas, or territories with confirmed cases reported at 15,012,731 and confirmed deaths at 619,150 as of July 23, 2020.
