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Sproul reports COVID data, restrictions to commissioners

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Ohio Valley is dealing with a surge of COVID-19 cases, and the Belmont County Health Department is spreading word of new directives from the state.

The majority of new cases came from recent vacations taken by a group of nearly 100 student-athletes, including 45 Belmont County residents, to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and others who took a trip to Panama City in Florida.

Since then staff at businesses including the Bellaire Kroger, Shadyside Dairy Queen, Finish Line shoe store at the Ohio Valley Mall and West Texas Roadhouse in St. Clairsville have tested positive, although they were reportedly tested soon after returning home and had limited contact with others. The businesses have been sanitized. Belmont County Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul also said an employee of the city of Martins Ferry who is a Jefferson County resident tested positive.

In his report to the county commissioners, Sproul said 563 residents have tested positive so far with 550 recovered, leaving 13 active cases. Five are hospitalized, and 22 have died. Sproul said two individuals who had been hospitalized have recovered.

“Our numbers are rolling in from close contacts with positives, health care workers and travel. That seems to be the big thing,” he said. “That’s coming up in discussions with schools, with the athletics, with businesses dealing with people coming back.”

He said the increase in numbers has been a statewide phenomena.

“Cincinnati, the Dayton area are seeing tremendous spikes,” Sproul said.

State grant funding has allowed the health department to hire two more staff dedicated to contact-tracing.

“We’re hoping that takes a little pressure off of some of our other staff,” he said.

In answer to a question from Commissioner J.P. Dutton, Sproul said contact tracing tends to be complicated in situations where travelers return to the area and test positive.

“We’re depending on the individuals that are positive giving us a complete list of where they were, who they were with. On the Myrtle Beach trip, we’re told there were 45 on the Ohio side, we had about 25 names. With the Panama trip we had about 19 out of the 39, and we know the numbers were there. We’ve got social media posts,” he said. “People have to be honest with us. We’re trying to stop the spread of this.”

In the event a staff member at a business tests positive, the staff member must inform their employer and when and how long they worked. Sproul’s office then contacts the business to determine who the staff was working with and the sanitary practices.

“They’ve all been very good about sanitizing, cleaning and making a complete contact list. Most places also have cameras,” he said.

In addition, Sproul presented the newest set of directives from the state, restrictions on reopened businesses until July 7.

Sproul said he does not know if this is due to the spike in numbers or if the delay could mean other changes.

“I know one of the reasons is that the risk-alert system is still being developed. They haven’t finalized it yet,” Sproul said, referring to an online system that will designated individual counties, their degree of infection and what restrictions are in place.

He added the counties have not yet been briefed on the metrics the state will use.

“We’re just being told about this,” Sproul said.

He also reported the state is offering random testing to 1,200 adults in Ohio July 17 through July 20.

“They randomly sent these postcards out to people of our region,” Sproul said. “There’s a lot of scams out here that’s going on, so just letting people know that this is legit. The state is doing this. They’re not letting us know, they’re doing it on their own.”

He expects more results soon.

“The testing site over in Wheeling (Hospital) has been extremely busy the past few days,” Sproul said. However, he reminds the public that if someone is tested too soon, they will receive a negative result because the virus has not accumulated in their body.

“Normally it’s five to seven (days),” Sproul said. “That’s why we quarantine them for 14 days.”

He urges the public to maintain safe practices during the July 4 holiday.

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