UPDATED PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WILLIAMS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (12:00 p.m., March 21st, 2020)
Through further investigation, it has been determined that the reported case of COVID-19 in Williams County is actually a permanent resident of Defiance County. While there is no lab-confirmed case in Williams County as of March 21st at 12pm, the presence of yet another case in close proximity to our area confirms that COVID-19 is likely to be spreading in Williams County.
According to public health experts at the Ohio Department of Health, many Ohioans are infected unknowingly with COVID-19, indicating community spread of COVID-19. This means that although there are zero lab-confirmed cases in Williams County, COVID-19 is here. Dr. Amy Acton, Director of the Ohio Department of Health, has emphasized that due to limited or lack of testing, the cases reported publicly are only the tip of the iceberg.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. To ensure you are obtaining accurate information about COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/) or the Ohio Department of Health’s website (https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/) for updates. If you have questions regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19 please call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).
PRESS RELEASE – The Williams County Health District (WCHD) is reporting the first positive test results for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). WCHD along with hospitals, healthcare providers, and community partners have actively prepared to respond to possible cases within local communities according to the agency.
This is the first positive result for Williams County. WCHD is working to identify any close contacts of this resident who would require testing or monitoring for symptoms.
“We are working closely with the Ohio Department of Health, following protocols and guidance in place, to identify close contacts of this individual. These individuals will be instructed to self-quarantine and will be monitored for 14 days,” said Watkins Williams County Health Commissioner. “Our focus right now is to support the care of this individual and protect the health of our residents.”
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3 Comments
As long as people are still forced to work, we’ll just continue to spread this virus! If I end up getting it from the guy who runs my machine before me, someone in the breakroom, or locker room, then I bring it home to my girlfriend and kids. Then they bring it to their workplaces, and just continues to spread till eventually everyone gets it!
I work in a Bryan Ohio factory. My employer does not check our temperatures when entering the building, like recommended. Our facility is not clean properly daily. When we take breaks there are more than 15 – 20 people in the break room at once. We were told to stagger brakes but that isn’t possible. And when you work at a place that manufactures plastic it is hard to stay 6 ft or more feet from your coworkers because sometimes a job may take two – three operators to assemble a part. Everyone I know would like to see the governor shut down the whole state because if not this virus will keep spreading. The manufactures don’t care!!!
We will never get a handle on it til we have enough tests to do mandintory testing nation wide as they did with TB. Also as long as we dont count persons testing and living here in our counts we will never have an accurate count to the CDC and neither will their home state. I believe if you work in North Dakota and are staying here for more than 3 days you should be counted as being a resident. We were transplants about 10 years ago and even though we have a house else where and residents else where and went home once, at the 30 day mark we transfered our licenses to the state under state law. The government doesn’t inforce it but they should. this would make the testing and such more accurate. Or if not atleast count them in the county that they have been in and tested positive in not the one on their Drivers License.