By: Daniel Cooley
There is some bad news on the horizon, as COVID cases are climbing. A couple of months ago, the average amount of COVID cases per 100,000 in Ohio was down to 49.
Over the past two weeks, though, ending May l2, the average number of cases per 100,000 people in Ohio has jumped to 205.7. Only 21 of the 88 counties are now below 100 cases per 100,000.
While both Fulton and Williams counties are still in the low incidence levels, Fulton County is in 25th place, averaging 171 cases per 100,000. The actual number of cases in the county over the last two weeks is 72, in a county of 42;126 people.
Williams County, meanwhile, has not jumped as much and is in 40th place, with a 144 mark per 100,000 people. The actual number of new cases over the past two weeks is 53, in a state with 36,692 people.
Kim Cupp, with the Fulton County Health Department, is not sure if the numbers are going to continue to go up, or go down. But she also fears the numbers could actually be higher than what they are.
“A lot of people are not being tested and (so), the tests that are being reported are only a fraction of the numbers,” Cupp said. “At this point, it’s hard to say if the numbers are going to go up or down.”
“With the experiences that we’ve had with COVID, I don’t foresee any government restrictions,” Cupp continued.
“With the people who are fully vaccinated, I don’t think they need to take precautions. But for people who are not fully vaccinated or are more susceptible to COVID, they need to wear a good quality mask when in public.”
Statistics say that in the long run, people in Williams County could be at a higher risk. In Fulton, 53% of people have had their first vaccination dose and 50.14% are fully vaccinated.
However, in Williams County, only 47% have had their first vaccination dose and just 43.7 % are fully vaccinated.
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com