Mercer Co. reports 31 new cases, 1 death

CELINA - An 87-year-old woman is the latest to die from COVID-19 in Mercer County, according to county health officials, raising the cumulative death toll from the virus to 88.

Thirty-one new cases of COVID-19 also were reported Wednesday, raising the county's cumulative number of cases to 4,336.

The newest death and four active hospitalizations in the county are all among unvaccinated individuals, according to officials from the Mercer County Health District. Officials have said the highly contagious delta variant is contributing to the uptick in cases throughout the region.

Cases of COVID-19 have swelled in the month of August, with 167 new cases reported in the month so far, according to Wednesday's health district news release. Thirty-four cases of the virus were reported in July, and only 14 cases were reported in June.

Mercer County's rate of transmission continues to be high, the release reads. The county has a rate of 140 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days and a test positivity rate of 9.5%.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define a high transmission rate 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 reported 17 confirmed and eight probable cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated individuals. Of those, three were hospitalized and have since recovered. Officials also reported a cumulative 823 probable cases, 4,114 people who have recovered and 19 probable deaths from the virus.

Since the COVID-19 transmission rate is at substantial or high levels, people are encouraged to wear a mask when in indoor public locations to protect themselves and others, according to the Mercer Health release.

Officials in the release said masks are most important when around people with weakened immune systems or increased risk of severe disease and when distance cannot be maintained between people.

While N95 masks offer protection to the wearer, surgical and cloth masks are most effective in controlling the release of droplets from those who may carry the virus by stopping the droplets before they separate into smaller particles capable of traveling through the air.

Starting Friday, health district officials will begin offering the third dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to immunocompromised individuals at the health district located in the county central services building in Celina. The third dose is available to immunocompromised individuals at least 28 days after they received the second shot in the two-dose series of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. People interested in getting the third shot should consult with their physician to determine whether they are eligible.

When obtaining a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the health district, clients will be required to complete a form documenting that they are eligible for the shot. No one will be required to disclose the specific health condition that makes them vulnerable, according to the release.

Health district officials also are making plans to conduct multiple drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinics this fall if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approve the recently announced federal booster shot plan.

As of Wednesday night, the Ohio Department of Health reported a cumulative 1,192,478 confirmed and probable cases, 64,853 hospitalizations - an increase of 225 hospitalizations since Wednesday - and 20,729 Ohio resident deaths since the pandemic began.

COVID-19 cases/deaths:
Ohio cases 1,192,478
Ohio deaths 20,729
Mercer County cases 4,336
Mercer County deaths 88
Auglaize County cases 3,897
Auglaize County deaths 65