COVID-19 update: Clay County moves into "red" category

Friday, November 13, 2020
Times Creative

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, Clay County is in the “RED” due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Since March, the ISDH has maintained Indiana’s Novel Coronavirus Dashboard in an attempt to update residents daily with the most up-to-date case counts.

At the beginning of October, the ISDH confirmed Clay County had 317 positive cases of COVID-19, five deaths attributed to the virus, and a 7-Day Positivity Rate of the total tests (6,788) administered of 3%.

Indiana State Department of Health

In 45 days, the ISDH COVID-19 data shows a definite spike in Clay County.

Total tests administered as of Wednesday, Nov. 11, are 9,903, with 6,172 unique/new individuals tested.

Of those tested, 441 were new cases, and 14 new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported.

Indiana State Department of Health

However, the ISDH website has been a problematic source in two areas - Dashboard Data for Long Term Care Facilities & Schools. Separate filing systems used in both categories has delayed providing up-to-date information in some counties, including Clay County.

Two long-term care facilities in the area - Cloverleaf Healthcare of Knightsville and Exceptional Living Center of Brazil- have struggled with the virus outbreaks the past two weeks.

Clay Community Schools had three schools go to eLearning - Meridian Elementary, Clay City Jr/Sr High School, and North Clay Middle School - before announcing Nov. 11, the entire school corporation would close down classroom instruction at all schools, with students going to eLearning on Thursday, Nov. 12. Students and staff are expected to return to classrooms on Monday, Nov. 30, but even that is subject to change due to the increase in the community spread of COVID-19.

Indiana State Department of Health

As the data from these filing systems becomes public, Clay County has seen a drastic change regarding the impact of COVID-19 in the community.

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