News

Athens Co. Confirms New COVID-19 Case

By: Aaron Payne
Posted on: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Athens County has now had 24 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic after an additional case was confirmed Wednesday.

The Athens City-County Health Department announced the case in a press release sent June 17.

No demographic information was provided by the health department regarding the cases. But data from the Ohio Department of Health indicate the new case required the person to be hospitalized.

The local health department said after the first confirmed case on March 26 that investigations into patients’ close contacts would be conducted.

There are six known active cases in the county as of Wednesday. Four people have been hospitalized for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. There has been one death related to COVID-19 in the county that happened in March.

Anyone experiencing respiratory symptoms is asked to call their primary care physician, urgent care, or emergency department before arriving for care to let them know that they believe they are experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 virus.

The Ohio Department of Health announced 42,422 confirmed & probable cases of COVID-19 statewide as of Wednesday, June 17 at 2 p.m. There have been 7,051 hospitalizations and 2,611 reported deaths.

The DOH makes the following recommendations to protect yourself from illness:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; dry hands with a clean towel or air dry hands.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable.
• Cover your mouth with a tissue or sleeve when sneezing or coughing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.

Ohio’s coronavirus call center is open to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The hotline number is 1-833-4-ASK-ODH or 1-833-427-5634. More information is available at coronavirus.ohio.gov.