1,000 cases

The Thanksgiving Day update from Indiana State Department of Health pushed Jay County past an unfortunate milestone.

The update, covering cases reported Wednesday, included 17 new positive tests for COVID-19 and sent the county past the 1,000-case milestone.

Jay County has totaled 1,007 cases since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March. Of those, 587 have come this month.

The local numbers have been down a bit in the last five days, with 88 cases over that span. There had been 170 total cases in the previous five days.

Still, Jay County is one of 17 counties in Indiana deemed to be at severe risk for spread of the disease. (The county metrics are updated each Wednesday.)

In response to that status, Jay School Corporation superintendent Jeremy Gulley announced Tuesday that Jay County Junior-Senior High School will shift to virtual learning through at least Dec. 4. Athletic events will continue, but attendance will be limited to families of athletes only.

Jay County Commissioners met in emergency session Wednesday and decided to close Jay County Courthouse, except by appointment, and limit county government work to essential business only.

While its total cases remain second-lowest in the region, Jay County is second-highest for cases per 100,000 at 4,928. Only Randolph County (5,113) is higher, with Adams, Wells, Blackford and Delaware counties all lower than 4,800.

Indiana had 6,434 new cases in the Thanksgiving Day report, bringing its total to 318,894. The number of people in Indiana hospitalized with COVID-19 was 3,384, the state department of health said.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has said he plans to meet with local elected officials, businesses and hospital administrators around the state next week to get “updated perspectives and input” about COVID-19 responses at the local and county levels, and to see how “the state could be doing more” to help out.

Coronavirus is mainly spread through respiratory droplets or small particles from an infected person coughing, sneezing, talking or breathing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that it may be possible those particles and droplets remain suspended in the air for an unknown period of time and travel beyond 6 feet, especially indoors.

CDC guidelines encourage wearing a mask and avoiding close contact when around others and frequent hand washing and surface cleaning as ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The virus causes a range of symptoms, which can appear two to 14 days after exposure. Older adults and those with pre-existing health problems are susceptible to more severe illnesses.