By 1812Blockhouse
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to rise in recent days, both statewide and in Richland County.
In Ohio, over 3,000 daily cases have been reported three times in the last week, with the largest numbers recorded since February. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions have more than doubled since the beginning of the month. The 21 day trend rose from 1,183 on July 30 to 3,446 on Thursday.
Government and public health officials are taking notice. Earlier this week, Richland Public Health issued the following notice concerning the wearing of masks at its facility:
“With the obvious and alarming increase in COVID-19 cases at all levels, effective with the start of the business day August 20, 2021, all Richland Public Health staff and visitors will be required to universally mask. This is regardless of vaccine status.”
In Delaware County, where vaccination rates are the highest in Ohio and substantially higher than those here, our sister site 1808Delaware reported on Thursday that the Delaware Public Health District has issued a mask advisory for the entire county.
The District shared,
“This week we are reporting 2 failed factors on the 5-critical factor report card, therefore we are advising everyone to wear a mask in public indoor settings and in crowded areas, regardless of vaccination status. While this is not a mandate, we do ask that everyone comply with the practices of public facilities and businesses that continue to require masks as they decide what is best for their customers and staff.”
In addition to our regular Richland County COVID Updates page, accessible via the link on our main page, we also will be returning to sharing regular weekly updates on school and nursing home/assisted living infection numbers.
Image by marcinjozwiak from Pixabay
