ST. CLAIRSVILLE — For several weeks,the number of Belmont County residents with active cases of COVID-19 had been declining, but a spike of more than 40 new cases were confirmed over the weekend.

A total of 274 people were isolated at home or hospitalized with the virus as of Friday; by Monday, the combined total had climbed to 315.

Deputy Health Commissioner Robert Sproul said his team at the health department is busily tracing people who might have interacted with the newly infected residents and instructing them to go into quarantine.

He speculated that family gatherings are a cause of the increase.

“Our increase seems to be … staying within families. We’re getting the initial ones, and then it’s more family members getting sick from that point. It’s spreading within the family. That’s where the present surge seems to be coming from.”

Sproul said the individuals who brought the illness to their family members do not appear to have any sources of infection in common.

“Most of them are not sure where they got it from. That seems to be the majority. They’re picking it up, they didn’ say how much they were traveling,” he said. “They basically said they weren’t sure where they picked it up from.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has set a goal of 50 cases per 100,000 Ohioans for a period of two weeks before he will agree to lift all health restrictions. While many Ohioans have been partially or fully vaccinated against COVID-19, concern remains that more infectious variants could spread through the Buckeye State.

The General Assembly recently passed Senate Bill 22, which limits a governor’s ability to declare health emergencies and mandate quarantines. It will take effect June 22.

Statewide, Ohioans ages 16 and older are now eligible for vaccination. Sproul said some Pfizer BioNTech version of the vaccine, which is approved for people younger than 18, has been received at his office.

“So far we’ve got about 30 16- and 17-year-olds registered for our clinic. We still have some more slots open. We have a limited amount of Pfizer that we’re able to do them with,” he said.

His office has about 120 Pfizer doses, along with 1,000 doses of the Moderna version, but Sproul said some of the Pfizer must be held for people receiving their second doses this week. The Pfizer and Moderna versions each require a second dose administered about a month after the first, while the Johnson & Johnson version requires only one dose.

Sproul said the timing of the vaccination clinics this week at the Ohio Valley Mall will reflect this younger group of recipients.

“On Wednesday (today) we’re doing our normal 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which is second doses in the morning, first doses in the afternoon. But we’re moving to a later clinic for Thursday. We’re basically doing a noon to 6:30 p.m. clinic. Basically now that we’re in that younger demographic, give them more time slots so they don’t have to miss work,” he said.

Sproul said while younger people are less likely to experience fatal effects from the coronavirus, they can still spread the virus to others.

“Everybody’s getting ready for Easter and we’re just asking they be safe throughout the holiday,” he added.

Sproul said there have been at total of 5,642 cases in the county since the pandemic’s onset, with 5,220 recoveries. A total of 241 are isolated at home and 74 people hospitalized, while 107 people have died after being infected with the virus. The latest Belmont County death associated with the virus, a man in his 50s, was reported Tuesday.