Tuesday, January 11th, 2022

Transmission, test positivity jumps

By Leslie Gartrell
WAPAKONETA - Auglaize County Health Department officials in a news release Monday reported 141 new cases of COVID-19 in the county since their last report on Thursday, raising the county's cumulative number of cases to 6,036.
The county's rate of community transmission and test positivity has also skyrocketed since Thursday's report, a trend county health commissioner Oliver Fisher said is distressing.
"The numbers are at an alarming high," Fisher said in an email Monday night. "But I cannot confirm if that is the highest they have been."
The county's rate of transmission has nearly doubled, increasing to 1,086.39 cases per capita from Thursday's report of 589.19 cases per 100,000 people.
The county's test positivity rate also rose nearly 10%, jumping to 31.67% from Thursday's report of 22.22%. The high test positivity rate means one out of every five people tested are positive for the virus.
A high transmission rate is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as 100 or more new cases per 100,000 people in a seven-day period or a test positivity rate of 10% or higher.
Officials in the release also reported a cumulative 2,187 probable cases, 545 hospitalizations, 8,261 people who are presumed to have recovered and 90 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
Officials in the release renewed their plea for residents to do what they can to minimize the spread of COVID-19, including getting vaccinated, staying home when sick, frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, social distancing and following public health guidance for contract tracing, isolation and quarantine.
As of Monday night, the Ohio Department of Health reported a cumulative 2,207,270 confirmed and probable cases, 99,830 hospitalizations and 30,072 Ohio resident deaths since the pandemic began.

COVID-19 data:
Ohio cases  2,207,270
Ohio deaths  30,072
Mercer Co. cases  6,281
Mercer Co. deaths  112
Auglaize Co. cases  6,036
Auglaize Co. deaths  90
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CELINA - City council members on Monday night authorized the placement of a seven-year renewal of an additional 0.5% income tax levy on the May 3 primary election ballot. [More]
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ST. HENRY - Mayor Steve Koesters said Mercer County commissioners seemed receptive to a proposal to develop and extend waterlines to a new wellfield south of the village.
NEW BREMEN - Village council members on Monday held first reading of water and sewer rates ordinances, that if passed would increase resident's water and sewer bills.
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local school board members voted at Monday's meeting to accept tax rates set by the county budget commission, which includes a slight reduction in the millage of an emergency levy as a result of increased property valuation in the district.
ST. HENRY - School board members welcomed new colleague Ben Miller on Monday night.
Miller, who ran unopposed at the November general election, succeeds former board member Josh Schmackers, who did not seek re-election.
COLDWATER - Four village council members were sworn in by village solicitor Judy Koesters at Monday night's organizational meeting.
They include n
ST. HENRY - When St. Henry runs its offense and takes care of the ball, good things are bound to happen.
The Redskins used hot shooting early and out-scrapped a tenacious Russia squad to pick up the 61-50 win at Redskin Gymnasium in a Monday night matchup.
Compiled By Tom Haines
New Bremen swept a swimming tri-meet with Fort Recovery and St. Henry, taking first by 18 points on the girls side and by 70 points for the boys.