Back to orange

After two weeks at the state’s highest level for risk of spreading coronavirus, Jay County moved down this week.

Given numbers the last few days, it may bounce right back.

Jay County was rated “orange” (high risk for the spread for coronavirus) in Wednesday’s update from Indiana State Department of Health. The county had been at “red” (extreme risk) for the previous two weeks.

The local risk rate dropped in the state ratings because the seven-day positivity rate fell below 15%. After coming in at 15.4% and 15.87% the previous two weeks, it was 11.84% this week.

In the other metric the state department of health uses to measure risk, Jay County saw its cases per 100,000 residents dip to 259. It had been just above 400 each of the previous two weeks.

However, there has been another local spike in the last few days. Jay County had 53 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the final two days of November. And the 33 cases reported Nov. 29 are the most in a single day since the county recorded 40 on Nov. 30, 2020.

Jay County finished November with 320 new cases of COVID-19, the second-highest total this year and the fourth month in a row of at least 240 cases. It has recorded 3,239 cases of COVID-19 during the pandemic. There have been 50 deaths.

While the local numbers dipped enough for Jay County to move from red to orange, the statewide trend was toward more cases and a higher positivity rate. Eighteen counties were rated red, up from 11 last week. Sixty-seven, including Adams, Wells, Blackford, Delaware and Randolph, were rated orange. Seven were rated “yellow” (moderate risk) and none were rated “blue” (low risk).

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in District 6, which includes Jay County, continue to rise as well. They had been down to 127 early this month but were above 250 each of the final two days of November, an increase from 227 last week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to indicate that vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The vaccine is now available to all Hoosiers 5 and older. Boosters are now available to and recommended for everyone 18 and older.

Jay County currently has vaccination sites — CVS in Portland and Dunkirk, Walgreens in Portland and Jay County Health Department, as well as IU Health Jay and its primary care provider practices. (Vaccines for children 5 to 11 years old are available only at the health department and the IU Health Jay sites.)

Jay County continues to rank sixth-lowest in vaccination rate among Indiana’s 92 counties. Its rate — it is now measured for the 5-and-older age group; it was previously measured by 12-and-older before the child vaccine was approved — is 37.2%. Marion County is highest in the state at 72.7%.

The CDC also recommends wearing a mask indoors for those who are in an area of “substantial or high transmission,” which includes Jay County.

Coronavirus is mainly spread through droplets or particles from an infected person coughing, sneezing, talking or breathing. The virus causes a range of symptoms, including fever and shortness of breath, which can appear up to 14 days after exposure.