County stays at orange, cases going up

Case numbers had been going down.

That has changed in the last week.

Jay County remained “orange” (high risk for the spread of coronavirus) for the 13th straight week in Indiana State Department of Health’s update Wednesday, seeing its case numbers go up in the last few days after they had been declining from the September peak.

The cases per 100,000 residents for the county climbed to 249 as of Sunday’s count — the weekly Wednesday update is based on Sunday’s numbers — up from 220 last week. The seven-day positivity rate was down to 8.82% from last week’s 9.34%.

After regularly posting double-digit daily case totals in September and early October, the numbers had been declining. Daily new cases of COVID-19 locally had been in single digits for 15 consecutive days through Nov. 3. That has changed, with the county reaching double digits four of the last six days, including 25 new cases reported Tuesday. That’s the highest single-day number since posting 29 new cases Sept. 1.

Hospitalizations in District 6, which includes Jay County, are also up a bit. After dipping to a low of 127 last week the number is back in the 140s this week.

The statewide map showed 44 counties, including Adams, Well, Blackford and Randolph, rated orange.

Forty-four, including Delaware County, were rated “yellow” (moderate risk). Three were rated “red” (high risk) and one — Washington — was rated “blue” (low risk).

Vaccines — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — are now available to all Hoosiers 5 and older. And vaccine boosters are available for those 65 and older or those 18 and older who are at high risk.

Jay County now has eight 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 IU Health Jay sites.)

Jay County continues to rank sixth-lowest in vaccination rate among Indiana’s 92 counties. According to the CDC, 42.5% of those 12 and older in the county have been vaccinated.

Marion County is highest in the state at 60.7%.

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