Putnam County up to 17 COVID-19 cases

Four new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Putnam County between Friday and Saturday.

A Saturday afternoon update from local officials put the total number of positive cases in the county at 17, three more than were listed by the Indiana State Department Health earlier in the day.

The local team responding to the COVID-19 pandemic includes the Putnam County Health Department, Putnam County Hospital and city and county leaders.

The ISDH has begun sharing the number of individuals who have been tested on its website. According to the ISDH, the number of tests is provisional and reflects only those reported to ISDH. Numbers should not be characterized as a comprehensive total.

Additional updates include:

• Putnam County Hospital has created a COVID-19 hotline: The hotline is staffed from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Citizens can call the hotline at 765-301-7019 to speak to a healthcare provider to address questions or concerns about the virus.

• Citizens should adhere to the CDC guidelines: Practice social distancing when picking up groceries, getting gas or picking up prescriptions. A distance of six feet is required by the CDC. Visit www.cdc.gov for more information.

• The CDC has updated guidance on who is high-risk for COVID-19: Visit the Putnam County Hospital at www.pchosp.org to learn who is high-risk, and what you should do if you think you have the virus.

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 afterward.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• 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 ISDH. The ISDH updates occur at 10 a.m. and 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.

ISDH: 86 tested in county

According to the ISDH website, 86 Putnam County residents have been tested, an increase of 11 since Friday’s data.

There remains some lack of clarity at the local level as to how the ISDH is gathering its information on total numbers of tests.

The total number of positive cases in the state continues to climb, with 523 new Hoosiers diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.

Additionally, the state reported the ISDH reported 14 new deaths from the pandemic, bringing the total to 116 Hoosiers who have died in the pandemic.

To date, 19,800 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 17,835 on Friday.

In neighboring counties, there have been 160 positive cases in Hendricks County, 63 in Morgan, 14 in Montgomery, 13 in Owen, three in Clay and two in Parke County, which had its first positive case reported on Friday.