COVID-19 Cases Remain At 34, Dr. Remington Notes At Weekly Press Briefing
April 29, 2020 at 11:15 p.m.
COVID-19 Cases Remain At 34, Dr. Remington Notes At Weekly Press Briefing
By David [email protected]
Groninger and Thallemer both said they are anticipating Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement at 2:30 p.m. Friday on whether he’s reopening the state partially and how.
“He’s kept it pretty well under wraps. We assume there will be some movement in a loosening of the stay-at-home order. I don’t know if the stay-at-home order will be rescinded, if it will be loosened, if there will be additional less-restrictive provisions put in. There’s just too many moving parts,” Thallemer said.
When the county is allowed to open back up, Groninger said the first week will be all county employees returning to work only with buildings remaining closed except by appointment only. In the second week, the buildings will be reopened to the public but with safety precautions in place.
“I just appreciate our whole community, how they’ve continued to embrace it,” Groninger said.
He said that as more people are tested, numbers of positive cases will go up, but testing is important.
“I know businesses are anxious to get back open again and start to get back to a little bit of a normal life, but it’s going to take some,” Groninger said.
Remington said as of early Wednesday morning, there were 34 cumulative cases in the county since the outbreak started. Of those, 19 recovered and there was one death.
“There was a question of a second death there for a few days, and it was really a counting issue as to what you do with a probable or possible COVID case that was not a test-positive confirmed death on several attempts at testing, from what I understand. So that fell out of our confirmed death category. So we remain at one confirmed death, and one possible COVID-related death,” Remington said.
Of that growth in numbers, he said, “Those who have been watching our curves will note that it’s gone up. So the last seven days, we’ve seen 10 new cases. Here’s the interesting part: Seven of those were part of a mass testing protocol through one, maybe two, of the nursing homes. I don’t believe either facility was in this county. They had workers who lived in this county.”
Six of the 10 new cases had no symptoms. They were asymptomatic patients with an employer-mandate to test for the coronavirus.
Four were mildly to moderately ill.
“We did not see, that we were aware of anyway, a single hospitalization out of those 10 new cases,” Remington said.
He said the case count will go up in the context of “how to open the economy because the paradigm for testing has really changed. You couldn’t get to a test when you really wanted a test with sick patients six weeks ago or a month ago. Testing is more available, and there are certain sectors where employers want certain asymptomatic employees tested.”
Masks
Thallemer said the approximate 350 masks offered at the Center Street fire station beginning last Wednesday went within several hours.
“Which tells me it was probably a good way to distribute them. So we have notified those that have been providing masks for us, and they are going to continue to drop masks off as they have,” he said, noting another 50 were dropped off Tuesday.
“Masks are still available for pick-up at the fire station at Center Street, and we are asking those that are making masks that wish to contribute those to community folks to do so at the fire station, as well. It seems to be working very well,” Thallemer said, adding that the masks are self-serve but people may want to gently wash them before using them.
KEDCo Small Biz Loans
Last week, the city council approved $100,000 from the city’s Economic Development Income Tax fund for small business loans to be administered through the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. Loans can be up to $10,000, businesses have six months before they have to start paying them back and then 24 months to pay them back in full. There is no interest on the loans.
Kosciusko County commissioners also recently approved an application to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs for $250,000 for small business loans through KEDCo.
Wednesday, Thallemer said the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety will sign the agreement with KEDCo and those funds will be ready to be applied for.
Farmers Market
Thallemer let the public know that the Farmers Market, which is on Center Street between city hall and the county courthouse, will open Saturday as it “normally does,” the first Saturday in May. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to its Facebook page.
“I’ve talked to the organizers. They’re going to practice social distancing. There will be food, and there will be plants available, but there will be no other craft items until we get to the point where we can do that,” he said.
“Right now, with the stay-at-home order, I know food supplies, as well as planting supplies, are approved as essential. I know Farmers Market is anxious to get started,” he said.
Thallemer asked that people not come in groups, but on their own.
“Do your business and leave. And, again, I hate to say that because the Farmers Market is designed as a community event, but in this day and age, at least for the next few weeks or however long this lasts, it’ll be primary for essential shopping, if you will. Wear a mask and then travel back home,” he said.
Virtual Job Fairs
Thallemer said the Indiana Department of Workforce Development has information on virtual job fairs. If you go to dwd.in.gov and go to the DWD News section, there’s information there about virtual job fairs.
Also, Indiana Career Connection website is offering virtual job fairs as well, he said.
Groninger and Thallemer both said they are anticipating Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement at 2:30 p.m. Friday on whether he’s reopening the state partially and how.
“He’s kept it pretty well under wraps. We assume there will be some movement in a loosening of the stay-at-home order. I don’t know if the stay-at-home order will be rescinded, if it will be loosened, if there will be additional less-restrictive provisions put in. There’s just too many moving parts,” Thallemer said.
When the county is allowed to open back up, Groninger said the first week will be all county employees returning to work only with buildings remaining closed except by appointment only. In the second week, the buildings will be reopened to the public but with safety precautions in place.
“I just appreciate our whole community, how they’ve continued to embrace it,” Groninger said.
He said that as more people are tested, numbers of positive cases will go up, but testing is important.
“I know businesses are anxious to get back open again and start to get back to a little bit of a normal life, but it’s going to take some,” Groninger said.
Remington said as of early Wednesday morning, there were 34 cumulative cases in the county since the outbreak started. Of those, 19 recovered and there was one death.
“There was a question of a second death there for a few days, and it was really a counting issue as to what you do with a probable or possible COVID case that was not a test-positive confirmed death on several attempts at testing, from what I understand. So that fell out of our confirmed death category. So we remain at one confirmed death, and one possible COVID-related death,” Remington said.
Of that growth in numbers, he said, “Those who have been watching our curves will note that it’s gone up. So the last seven days, we’ve seen 10 new cases. Here’s the interesting part: Seven of those were part of a mass testing protocol through one, maybe two, of the nursing homes. I don’t believe either facility was in this county. They had workers who lived in this county.”
Six of the 10 new cases had no symptoms. They were asymptomatic patients with an employer-mandate to test for the coronavirus.
Four were mildly to moderately ill.
“We did not see, that we were aware of anyway, a single hospitalization out of those 10 new cases,” Remington said.
He said the case count will go up in the context of “how to open the economy because the paradigm for testing has really changed. You couldn’t get to a test when you really wanted a test with sick patients six weeks ago or a month ago. Testing is more available, and there are certain sectors where employers want certain asymptomatic employees tested.”
Masks
Thallemer said the approximate 350 masks offered at the Center Street fire station beginning last Wednesday went within several hours.
“Which tells me it was probably a good way to distribute them. So we have notified those that have been providing masks for us, and they are going to continue to drop masks off as they have,” he said, noting another 50 were dropped off Tuesday.
“Masks are still available for pick-up at the fire station at Center Street, and we are asking those that are making masks that wish to contribute those to community folks to do so at the fire station, as well. It seems to be working very well,” Thallemer said, adding that the masks are self-serve but people may want to gently wash them before using them.
KEDCo Small Biz Loans
Last week, the city council approved $100,000 from the city’s Economic Development Income Tax fund for small business loans to be administered through the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. Loans can be up to $10,000, businesses have six months before they have to start paying them back and then 24 months to pay them back in full. There is no interest on the loans.
Kosciusko County commissioners also recently approved an application to the Office of Community and Rural Affairs for $250,000 for small business loans through KEDCo.
Wednesday, Thallemer said the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety will sign the agreement with KEDCo and those funds will be ready to be applied for.
Farmers Market
Thallemer let the public know that the Farmers Market, which is on Center Street between city hall and the county courthouse, will open Saturday as it “normally does,” the first Saturday in May. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to its Facebook page.
“I’ve talked to the organizers. They’re going to practice social distancing. There will be food, and there will be plants available, but there will be no other craft items until we get to the point where we can do that,” he said.
“Right now, with the stay-at-home order, I know food supplies, as well as planting supplies, are approved as essential. I know Farmers Market is anxious to get started,” he said.
Thallemer asked that people not come in groups, but on their own.
“Do your business and leave. And, again, I hate to say that because the Farmers Market is designed as a community event, but in this day and age, at least for the next few weeks or however long this lasts, it’ll be primary for essential shopping, if you will. Wear a mask and then travel back home,” he said.
Virtual Job Fairs
Thallemer said the Indiana Department of Workforce Development has information on virtual job fairs. If you go to dwd.in.gov and go to the DWD News section, there’s information there about virtual job fairs.
Also, Indiana Career Connection website is offering virtual job fairs as well, he said.
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