County records 16th virus death

CELINA - A Rockford resident is the 16th person to die from COVID-19 in Mercer County, according to a health district news release on Monday.

District officials also gave an update on outbreaks throughout the area and reported seven new cases of the virus, raising the county's total to 921.

In Auglaize County, 15 new cases raised that county's confirmed number to 493.

Mercer County Health District officials in Monday's release reported the latest death involved an 82-year-old woman. The woman was not a patient or resident at a long-term care facility, according to health district public information officer Kristy Fryman.

"The MCHD staff would like to express our condolences to her family and friends during this time of loss," the release reads.

The majority of COVID-19 deaths involve people in a similar age range. According to the health district's online dashboard, seven of the 16 deaths have involved people from the age of 80-89. Four have involved people from the age of 90-99, three from 70-79, one from 60-69 and one from 50-59.

District officials also reported 64 probable cases, 820 people who have recovered, 60 pending tests, 3,158 negative test results, seven hospitalizations and two probable deaths from COVID-19, according to the release. Of the 921 confirmed cases, 82 are active.

District administrator Jason Menchhofer in an email to the newspaper on Monday gave an update on four active outbreaks in the area.

Briarwood Village in Coldwater has had 24 confirmed cases overall with nine active cases. Four of the nine involve employees and five involve residents.

Another long-term care facility, Celina Manor, has had 12 confirmed cases overall with seven active, five of which involve employees and two are residents.

City of Celina employees at the public works building have had three confirmed cases, only one of which is active and will be considered recovered today.

In addition, three teachers at Mercer County Head Start have been confirmed to have COVID-19. Of the three cases, one is active.

Cases have been reported in all areas of the county since the beginning of the pandemic. Since March, Celina has had 419 cases; Coldwater, 145; Fort Recovery, 113; St. Henry, 112; Maria Stein, 60; Rockford, 32; Mendon, 17; Chickasaw, 13; Burkettsville, four; Montezuma, three; and Willshire, one, according to the district's online COVID-19 dashboard at https://arcg.is/1mTqa5.

In Auglaize County, seven of the 15 involve males, according to a county health department news release. Their ages are under the age of one, 18, 25, 39, 61, 72 and 78. The 78-year-old male is hospitalized while the rest are self-isolating. The ages of the eight females are 27, 31, 33, 53, 80, 90 and two are 18 years old.

The 80-year-old female is hospitalized and the rest are self-isolating.

County health officials also reported 58 probable cases, 49 total hospitalizations, 401 people who have recovered and eight deaths. Of the 551 confirmed and probable cases, 142 are active.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, cases have been reported throughout Auglaize County, including St. Marys with 225 cases; Wapakoneta, 137; Minster, 72; New Bremen, 64; Cridersville, 25; Waynesfield, 12; New Knoxville, six; Botkins, three, Lakeview, two; St. Johns, two; Uniopolis, two; and New Hampshire, one.

As of Monday evening, the Ohio Department of Health reported 138,484 confirmed and probable cases in the state, 14,378 hospitalizations and 3,419 confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19.