Jay County goes back to red

The county bounced right back up to red.

In Indiana State Department of Health’s update Wednesday, Jay County returned to “red” (extreme risk for the spread of coronavirus) as cases and the positivity rate shot up after dipping last week.

The county was part of a statewide trend toward more cases, with most of the northern third of the state also rated red. Half of Indiana’s 92 counties were rated red this week, with 45 “orange” (high risk) and one — Crawford — “yellow” (moderate risk).

Jay County’s cases per 100,000 residents, which had dipped to 259 last week, saw a major increase to 871. The county has had at least 13 new cases of COVID-19 each day in December, including a pandemic-high of 49 on Dec. 1. It is averaging 24.1 cases per day and is on pace for 748 cases this month. (The highest total during the pandemic thus far was 684 in November 2020.) There were 320 cases last month.

The local seven-day positivity rate jumped as well. it came in at 17.14%, up from 11.84% last week.

The weekly Wednesday updates from the state department of health are based on Sunday’s numbers. Since then, Jay County’s positivity rate has climbed to above 20% and its cases per 100,000 residents remains above 800.

Jay County has recorded 3,405 cases of COVID-19 during the pandemic. There have been 51 deaths.

Blackford and Wells counties joined Jay County in moving to red this week, while Adams, Delaware and Randolph were each orange. Jay County had the highest seven-day positivity rate and cases per 100,000 residents in the area.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in District 6, which includes Jay County, are continuing to go up as well. 

They had been down to 127 early in November but were at 330 as of Wednesday, an increase from 265 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.

The state’s website indicates Jay County currently 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 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 37.4%. Marion County is highest in the state at 74%.

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.