County updates COVID-19 totals
Putnam County officials announced Wednesday that there have been 378 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county since March.
This includes 21 newly-reported positive cases on Monday and 14 newly-reported cases on Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there had been three cases in local schools, the Putnam County Health Department confirmed. One of these was in North Putnam Schools, while two others were in Cloverdale Community Schools.
Additionally, as of Wednesday the Indiana Department of Correction was reporting 142 positive cases among offenders at Putnamville Correctional Facility, an increase of 28 cases from one week earlier.
Over the same time period, four new cases were reported among Putnamville staff members, the DOC reported, bringing the total to 15 cases. Ten of these have recovered.
Among Putnamville prisoners, 501 were in quarantine for having possibly been exposed to COVID-19, whiel 180 were in isolation as possibly having a contageous disease. In all, 36 Putnamville offenders have recovered from COVID-19 and none have died.
At the county level, there have been no deaths from COVID-19 since May 30.
For a further breakdown of cases, visit www.coronavirus.in.gov. To learn more about the cases at Putnamville Correctional Facility, visit https://www.in.gov/idoc/3780.htm.
Putnam County Hospital is now offering curbside COVID testing by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call the COVID hotline at (765) 301-7019.
Upon arriving for your scheduled COVID-19 curbside appointment, follow the COVID-19 testing signs to the appropriate testing area. Putnam County Hospital asks that patients not arrive more than five minutes before their scheduled appointments in order to keep the traffic to a minimum.
As a reminder, county officials also ask the public to continue to follow the mask mandate when out in public. This includes high school, middle school and youth athletics.
• What should I do if I think I need a test or begin presenting COVID related symptoms?
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice.
• What should I do if I have questions about protocols for county schools?
All of the county school systems have plans approved through the Putnam County Board of Health If you have questions regarding protocols related to COVID, visit your community school corporation websites.
Any specific questions should be directed to your specific school system.
• What else can I do right now?
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 percent 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, visit the Putnam County Hospital at www.pchosp.org/covid-19-updates or the Putnam County Health Department at www.putnamhealthindiana.org.