‘It was only a matter of time’: Champaign County reports first positive coronavirus cases

The Champaign Health District announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19, or coronavirus, in Champaign County on Monday afternoon.

According to a statement from the district, the patient is a female in her early 30s “who has not traveled.”

“The patient is being isolated and is in good condition,” the statement said.

The district is now working with the Ohio Department of Health to conduct contact-tracing “to determine if any of the patient’s contacts may have contracted the virus or have become sick,” the statement said.

“Any contacts who are sick will be asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days,” the statement said. “For any contacts who are not sick, guidance is being provided to them regarding how to monitor themselves for sickness and what to do if they become ill.”

Gabe Jones, the health commissioner at the Champaign Health District, said “it was only a matter of time,” until the county got a positive test.

“Each county surrounding Champaign has had their first confirmed case,” Jones said. “We’ve been preparing for this for some time. We want all residents to continue taking precautions in order to help us protect our community.”

Jones said Champaign County declared a state of emergency on Monday, March 16, in anticipation of the county’s first positive coronavirus case.

Clark County also declared a state of emergency on March 16. The county reported its second case of coronavirus on Monday afternoon, according to the Clark County Combined Health District.

In a statement, the district said the patient is a woman in her 60s and is a known contact of the first positive case in Clark County.

“Unfortunately, additional cases of COVID-19 in Clark County are inevitable,” Charles Patterson, Clark County Combined Health District Commissioner said. “We are urging residents to practice social distancing and follow the Governor’s ‘Stay at Home’ order to prevent the spread of this dangerous virus.”

Clark County’s first confirmed case of coronavirus was a Bethel Twp. veteran in his 70s, the health district announced on Thursday. The man was a patient at the Koester Pavilion, a skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation facility in Troy.

The man was then admitted to the Dayton VA Medical Center, after leaving Koester Pavilion, and “placed into contact isolation for an unrelated medical condition shortly before he began exhibiting any symptoms related to COVID-19,” VA officials said on Wednesday.

The district is continuing to conduct contact investigators on the patient, the statement said.

“All contacts of the positive case have been asked to quarantine and are being monitored by the health district,” the statement said.

The Logan County Health District announced its first confirmed case of coronavirus in the county over the weekend.

The patient, who was not identified, is isolated and hospitalized outside of the county, according to a press release from the health district said. Logan County health officials are working to notify anyone who may have been in contact with the patient.

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