SPRINGFIELD — Clark County health officials say no single outbreak is fueling a recent spike in coronavirus cases, but it’s clear Fourth of July played a role in the surge.
Gov. Mike DeWine raised Clark County to a “Level 3” or “Red” on the state’s pandemic alert page Thursday, citing an increase in average new daily cases from around five at the beginning of July, to around 12, according to the newest numbers.
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“Some of the outbreaks in Clark County are linked to youth sports, also a long term care facilities. One faith based facility outbreak had 19 cases associated with it,” DeWine said Thursday at his news briefing from the Statehouse.
In Clark County, health officials said while Fourth of July festivities help fuel the increase, no single factor is fueling the surge, but rather, cases from a wide variety of sources.
“It’s just additional virus that’s in the community,” said Charles Patterson, health commissioner, Clark County Combined Health District.
The elevation to Level 3 for Clark County would have triggered a requirement for people to wear masks in public, but DeWine extended that order to all Ohio counties effective 6 p.m. Thursday.
Jon Holt, who lives in Springfield, urged his fellow Clark County citizens to heed the warnings of health officials. He personally knows five Ohioans who have died from either confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19.
“It’s horrible,” Holt said of the impact on families. “I think the people who are paying attention – the people who know people who have succumbed to it, I think it’s made you think twice to how serious this is.”
Patterson said the health district continues to contact trace each case of coronavirus it learns of, although, he admitted, the recent spike in cases has staff “scrambling” at times to complete the work.
He noted that county and Springfield city officials are working quickly to try and make masks available to citizens who need one, free of charge. News Center 7 will provide an update on any mask giveaways when we learn of a distribution event.