County provides weekly COVID-19 update

Putnam County officials announced Friday there have been 202 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county.

A site has been approved for the Optum Testing. Optum is finalizing their plans to ensure the process runs smoothly and once all of the final details are worked out there will be a separate press release to the community. In the meantime, if you need to be tested Optum has a site in Danville that Putnam County residents are able to use.

If you have COVID related questions Putnam County Hospital continues to have a COVID hotline. You can reach the COVID hotline at (765) 301-7019 The hotline is staffed from 8 a.m. – 9 p.m., seven days a week. Hospital staff can direct you to the nearest testing site, to keep potential COVID-19 patients from spreading the virus in health care offices.

Gov. Eric Holcomb has announced that Hoosiers age eight and older will be required to wear a face mask inside any public facility and on public transportation beginning July 27, unless they have a medical reason that keeps them from wearing one. And, if social distancing is not an option, they also need to keep on their face mask outdoors.

The Indiana State Department of Health wants to remind community members that children are always watching. Your voice is more powerful than you may realize. Young people trust the people they know and those they follow on social media.  While the Governor mandated masks for school children in grades 3 and above, kids of all ages will be more likely to wear their own face mask if they see their role models wearing one. So will young adults, the group the least likely to currently wear a face mask.

Additional updates:

• The Putnam County 360 Coalition, in conjunction with the Putnam County Community

Foundation and the United Way, has developed an online resource to help members of our community receive the help and support that they need during challenging times. This form and other resources can be found on the Coalition website at www.putnamcounty360.org . By completing this form, or calling 765-653-4820, you can be connected to a member of the 360 Coalition who will help you or direct you to appropriate resources as best as we can to provide the support that you need. The Putnam County 360 Coalition is a collaboration of more than 25 not-for-profit service providers, faith-based institutions, educational providers, city and county government, and the Putnam County business community. The goal of the 360 Coalition is to provide pathways for all residents of our community that lead to positive outcomes, including housing stability, education, health and well-being, economic security and mobility through resource and information sharing, and shared client management between agencies.

• The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced the launch of the Be Well Crisis Helpline, a confidential resource available through Indiana 211 that will allow Hoosiers to call and speak with a trained counselor 24/7. The free Be Well Crisis Helpline was established by FSSA’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction in direct response to the elevated levels of stress and anxiety Hoosiers are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Indiana 211 is a free service that connects Hoosiers with assistance and answers from thousands of health and human service resources across the state — quickly, easily and confidentially. Earlier this month, Indiana 211 officially became part of FSSA, helping enable specialized programs such as the Be Well Crisis Helpline as needed. The Be Well Crisis Helpline is funded by a Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In Indiana the program becomes part of the state’s new Be Well Indiana initiative. Additional information about the mental health resources available to Hoosiers is available at BeWellIndiana.org.

• Bring a mask from home when out in public and wear it. Practice social distancing, too.

Contact Putnam County’s Masked Mommas if you need a mask. Our dedicated community volunteers have made and distributed thousands of masks. Visit https://www.facebook.com/Putnam-County-Mask-Mommas-Sew-Serve-100134314992282/ for a mask.

It is imperative individuals take action to avoid COVID-19 to prevent its spread. A number of preventive steps include:

-Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an -alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. 

-Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands.

-Avoid close contact with people who are showing symptoms of illness.

-Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.  

-Cover your cough or sneezes with a tissue or sneeze into your elbow.

-Throw the tissue in the garbage and make sure to clean your hands afterwards.

-Stay home when you are sick.

-Wear face coverings in public when performing essential duties.

-We are all in this together.

Putnam County is providing regular updates on COVID-19 to citizens as part of its effort to complement the daily updates from the Indiana State Dept. of Health. The updates can be accessed via www.coronavirus.in.gov.

To learn more about Putnam County’s coordinated response to COVID-19, please visit the Putnam County Hospital at www.pchosp.org/covid-19-updates or the Putnam County Health Department at www.putnamhealthindiana.org.