T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul reports more than 300 total COVID-19 cases in Belmont County as of Wednesday, with 123 recoveries. Word of a death at Belmont Correctional Institute was reported at the end of the day, but it could not be confirmed that this was COVID-19 related.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County has now topped 300 total positive cases of the novel coronavirus, with 123 recoveries.

Belmont County Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul gave his latest report Wednesday to the board of commissioners. He also addressed the ongoing process of reopening Ohio’s businesses and its impacts on the county.

He reported 302 total cases that morning, but the number increased to 307 by the end of the day, possibly with an eighth death though the cause of death was unconfirmed.

In answer to a question from Commissioner Josh Meyer, Sproul said the majority of new cases continue to originate from the Belmont Correctional Institution west of St. Clairsville. The prison houses close to 2,500 inmates. According to coronavirus.ohio.gov, there are 74 positive inmates, with 44 of them recovered and five awaiting test results. Meanwhile 54 staff members have tested positive and seven have recovered.

At the end of the day, Sproul said his office received a report of an inmate death at the prison. He said the coroner is determining the cause of death. Sproul said he was awaiting a ruling on whether the death was coronavirus-related. At the end of the day, coronavirus.ohio.gov reported no inmate or staff deaths of people who had tested positive at BeCI.

The coroner could not be reached for comment.

Officially, seven Belmont County residents with the virus have died. The number had been set at eight by the county, but the state removed one due to issues establishing the deceased’s residency.

On Tuesday, retailers were able to open their doors and continue business. Barbershops, hair salons, and now tattoo parlors will reopen Friday.

“Restaurants and bars can do outdoor dining, so they’ll be able to do that,” Sproul said. “On (May) 21, so the following Friday, they’ll be able to do in-dining. They’re doing a lot of work at their facilities trying to commit with the governor’s guidelines and state’s guidelines on social distancing. They’re getting prepped up for that.”

Sproul said his office is still awaiting word from the state about the process of conducting school graduations and summer events.

“There’s a lot of concern with fairs, festivals … how they can open, gyms, etc. Every day we get more guidance on when something is coming out. This is the time they’re prepping their swimming pools for the summer season.”

Commissioner J.P. Dutton inquired if continued compliance is likely as the summer months begin and people become more fatigued by these measures.

“It is important to remember the things we started off with in the beginning, those things are probably just as true or more true now as things open up and there’s more interaction,” Dutton said. “The sanitization, the hygiene, the masks, those things will remain pretty important as things continue to open up.”

“The virus today is the same as it was months ago. It’s still here. The numbers still are increasing,” Sproul said.

Sproul’s office can be reached at 740-695-1202 by residents with questions, or in the event a business may not be complying.

“The more education we can get out there, the better. We don’t want to go out and enforce,” Sproul said. “Education is much better than enforcement.”

Sproul also reported conducting presentations at the Department of Senior Services and sharing precautions the staff could take when providing meal and transportation services for the most vulnerable segment of the population. Sproul could not say when the county’s senior centers would be able to reopen.

“You guys are providing a lot of guidance to a lot of people, and I know it’s very much appreciated,” Commissioner Josh Meyer said.

He added that the Ohio Department of Aging is offering check-in telephone calls to residents older than 60.

“They’re the ones that are most susceptible to this, and they’ve been housed away from this more. They’re going to want to check on their physical and mental health,” Sproul said.

The Department of Aging website is aging.ohio.gov.