Mercer County cases pass 100

CELINA - More than 100 Mercer County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, as 15 new cases reported on Wednesday raised the county's total to 101.

An outbreak of COVID-19 was reported at The Gardens at St. Henry after an employee and a former resident tested positive.

Auglaize County reported two new confirmed cases, raising that county's total to 46.

The Mercer County Health District in a news release reported that of the 15 new cases, eight involve men: three from the age of 20-30, two from the age of 30-40, one from the age of 60-70, one from the age of 70-80 and one from the age of 80-90.

Seven are women: two from the age of 60-70, three from the age of 50-60, one from the age of 40-50 and one from the age of 30-40. Twelve of the 15 are self-isolating at home and three are hospitalized, according to the release.

The county has had a significant increase in testing over the past week, district public information officer Kristy Fryman said. The results announced on Wednesday came from tests between May 11-12, Fryman said. That testing was completed through an Ohio Department of Health lab and a private lab.

Of the 101 confirmed cases, 58 involve people who are white non-Hispanic (57%), 39 are Pacific Islanders (39%) and four are Hispanic (4%). Ages range from 19-90 years old, according to the release, and women account for 57 confirmed cases while 44 are men.

COVID-19 cases are spread throughout the county with positive tests confirmed in Celina (44), Coldwater (28), St. Henry (15), Maria Stein (six), Fort Recovery (three), Mendon (three), Rockford (one) and Burkettsville (one), according to the release.

At The Gardens at St. Henry, the resident who had tested positive was discharged from the facility on Sunday and was confirmed to have COVID-19 late Tuesday night, Fryman said.

Health officials on Tuesday also reported an employee at Celina Manor had tested positive for COVID-19. No other long-term care facilities have employees or residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, Fryman said.

Officials reported 36 of the confirmed COVID-19 cases involve employees at the St. Henry Cooper Farms Processing Plant.

The district on Wednesday also reported 24 people who have recovered, 138 pending cases, 367 negative test results, seven hospitalizations and one death from COVID-19.

Fryman added district employees continue to work with the Mercer County Tax Map coordinator on an online, interactive dashboard, which will include an exact age, sex, race and zip code of people who test positive for COVID-19. She said they hope to have it up by the end of the week.

In Auglaize County, health officials reported two new confirmed cases of COVID-19, raising the county's total to 46 confirmed cases. The health department did not give an age, sex or other identifying information about the people.

Officials also reported two probable cases, nine hospitalizations, 20 people who have recovered and three deaths from COVID-19.

Health officials report people as recovered from COVID-19 when they are released from isolation.

Infected people who have been put into isolation are released from quarantine when at least seven days have passed since the onset of symptoms, they have been fever-free for at least 72 hours without taking fever-reducing medication and respiratory symptoms have improved.

As of Wednesday night, ODH reported 25,721 confirmed and probable cases, 4,618 hospitalizations and 1,483 confirmed and probable deaths.