ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County is now at 600 total COVID-19 coronavirus cases, with 536 recoveries and more contact tracing underway.

The Belmont County Board of Health reviewed its progress responding to the pandemic Monday, when board members met at the Emergency Management Agency building. Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul said there was insufficient space at the health department meeting room, since employees are in the midst of contact tracing paperwork there.

Sproul said there are 37 active cases in addition to five people who are hospitalized with the virus for a total of 42.

Twenty-two residents have died while infected, including nine inmates at Belmont Correctional Institution.

Belmont County is designated yellow in the state’s color-coding system. This is the lowest danger level. Sproul updated the board on restrictions from the state, which have been extended indefinitely.

“A lot of stuff is still in place,” he said. He said beginning July 20 nursing home visitations may be permitted for end-of-life patients.

The Ohio National Guard has tested staff and residents at Continuing Healthcare of Shadyside and has been assisting with tests at a second local nursing home as part of a state initiative. Sproul said his office expects to receive reports this week.

Also, he will continue to meet with superintendents of school districts to discuss options for reopening schools this fall while meeting state guidelines.

Other events are in the works. The St. Clairsville Summer Concert Series is scheduled to kick off at 7 p.m. today at the city amphitheatre with the band Twice as Nice performing. Social distancing and masks are encouraged.

The Belmont County Fair also will be held in September. Sproul said he is consulting with organizers and is confident they are taking necessary precautions.

Sproul said infection continues mainly to be tied to travel. A recent spike in cases occurred after the virus was brought back to Belmont County by groups of student athletes vacationing in South Carolina and Florida. Belmont County’s first, comparatively early cases in March involved two people who attended a political event in Washington D.C. where they were infected.

People continue to travel, and the states have varying degrees of restriction.

“It’s a variety of places,” he said.

The health department hired two employees to focus solely on contact tracing. Megan Smolenak of the St. Clairsville area and Alexis Moore of Barnesville are students at Ohio University in Athens to earn a master’s degree in public health. They are both paid through a state grant related to coronavirus expenses. Moore was present at the meeting. She has worked at the health department for more than a week.

“It’s very fast-paced so far,” she said. “We just notify new incoming cases, identify their contacts and notify them and give them guidance for quarantine. Basically be a resource for them. … It’s been a lot of back and forth.”

Moore said the health department provides letters for employers while an employee is in quarantine, and connects them to other resources to enable them to remain home and reduce spread of the virus. The people she talks to are not told the name of the person who tested positive that they have had contact with if the positive case wishes to remain anonymous.

“We don’t give them the names of who they’ve been in contact with. We just let them know that they should quarantine,” she said.

Sproul added that coronavirus testing in Belmont County can be obtained at Ohio Hills Health Services in Barnesivlle, and CVS in St. Clairsville. The website coronavirus.ohio.gov has testing sites listed.

The next meeting will take place at noon Aug. 10.