T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM 1. Garen Rhome, administrator of the Harrison County Health Department, speaks about the coronavirus in the county during Wednesday's commission meeting.

CADIZ — Smart choices will make all the difference when it comes to containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harrison County Health Department Administrator Garen Rhome said.

As of Wednesday, 105 cases have been confirmed in the county since the outbreak began, along with 76 presumed recoveries and four deaths. There are 25 active cases in the county, Rhome told the Harrison County Board of Commissioners during his weekly update regarding the coronavirus.

Rhome said it is unfortunate that the county’s numbers continue to increase and attributed that to an increase in infected individuals’ close contacts with others.

“We continue to see our numbers increase because we continue to see people’s number of close contacts increase. … Keeping those close contact numbers small is one of the things I continue to talk about. We need to get back to that,” he said. “We have someone with 25 close contacts and there’s no reason at all for that.”

Rhome said he urges residents to continue to follow the Ohio Public Health Advisory System Level 2 recommendations.

“Keep the contacts completely away from highly susceptible individuals — your elderly or sick loved ones. Continue to reduce those close contact numbers. There’s’ just too many close contacts,” he said.

Rhome said he is concerned about what people are doing outside of school and outside of care facilities. Those actions could affect other people inside the schools and care facilities, he said.

“It’s these things that are happening outside the hospitals, outside the schools and outside the long-term care facilities that are going to directly impact the schools and the long-term care (facilities), because they are doing a great job — the structured places,” he said.

Residents need to be smart about what they choose to do, Rhoem said. Gatherings should be limited, social distancing should be practiced and facial covering guidelines should be followed to help slow the spread of the virus, he said.

“We need a community response,” he noted.

In other county news, officials said they are grateful to voters for approving nearly all of the proposed levies on county ballots Tuesday. Commissioner Paul Coffland said he would like to thank the residents of the county for that support.

“When you look at the levies across the county, only one failed. We are especially appreciative of the county home levy, and we’d like to congratulate all of the winners. Not only that, but all those who had the courage to put their name on the ballot,” he said.

All but one of the county’s proposed levies passed. The proposed Cadiz village 2 percent income tax levy failed to pass by 1,096-476 votes. The levy would have raised the village’s income tax from 1 percent to 2 percent to help increase village revenue.

The Harrison County Home levy renewal passed by a margin of 4,578-2,487. That levy helps fund the county-owned assisted living center.

Commissioners Dale Norris and Don Bethel also thanked voters for their support.

Another levy that passed was the anticipated Silver Spade Joint Ambulance District ambulance levy. The measure garnered 1,392 votes in favor and 1,136 votes in opposition. The levy will help ensure the Hopedale and Cadiz fire departments’ ambulance services remain available full time. The levy was approved just in time, as the departments’ federal funding for the service is set to run out in 2021.

The levy will act as a long-term funding solution so the departments can continue to provide services to local communities including Cadiz Township, Green Township, the village of Cadiz and the village of Hopedale. The Hopedale Fire Department expressed appreciation to the voters via social media Wednesday.

“Hopedale Fire Department would like to thank the citizens of Hopedale, Green Township, Cadiz (Township) and the village of Cadiz for your support with the Silver Spade Joint Ambulance District,” the department stated.