Putnam County up to 33 COVID-19 cases

Friday, April 10, 2020

Putnam County officials announced Friday there are currently 33 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Putnam County.

This marked an increase of three over Thursday’s reported figure, as well as two more than the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) figure from Friday morning.

On Friday, the ISDH also reported a third death in Putnam County from the virus. However, upon further review by the Putnam County Health Department, this death was attributed to a neighboring county in the early reporting.

Putnam County currently has had two deaths due to COVID-19.

The Putnam County Health Department is continuing to investigate all confirmed cases of COVID-19 and notifying individuals who have been in direct contact with the patient.

Anyone who does not receive a call is likely not a direct contact during the infectious period, according to Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) guidelines.

The process also includes checking in with patients who are self-isolating to make sure they are staying home.

Additional updates include:

• Virtual religious services are available in Putnam County.

During this important week for many in the faith-based community, a number of Putnam County religious organizations are offering virtual religious services. To learn more, click here.

The Indiana State Dept. of Health and Putnam County Health Dept. are following CDC guidelines for faith-based organizations. To learn more, visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/guidance-communityfait...

• Stay at home if you can, and practice social distancing.

With state and federal leaders forecasting a surge of COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks, please continue to stay at home when possible and practice social distancing. To learn more, visit https://coronavirus.in.gov.

• Mental health resources are available for county residents.

Putnam County Hospital’s team is sharing resources to help the community navigate these challenging times. Visit www.pchosp.org to learn more.

Local officials are also encouraging preventive steps, including:

• 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. According to the ISDH, the number of tests it lists is provisional and reflects only those reported to ISDH. Numbers should not be characterized as a comprehensive total.

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: 55 new deaths statewide

On Friday, the ISDH reported 55 new deaths from the COVID-19 virus, bringing the total deaths statewide to 300.

Positive cases also continued to be on the rise, with 568 new diagnoses, to bring the statewide total to 6,907 Hoosiers who have been diagnosed with the virus.

The state has not yet released the number of Hoosiers believed to have recovered from the virus.

The ISDH also reported 35,040 tests have been reported to ISDH, up from 32,133 on Thursday.

However, the state acknowledges that testing totals should be considered provisional, as questions surround how many negative tests had been reported to the agency.

On Wednesday, an order from State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box seemed to acknowledge this problem and others by changing the reporting requirements laboratories and congregate living facilities.

The order requires the following:

• Laboratories must report all negative COVID-19 test results for Indiana residents to ISDH within 24 hours of completing the test. Previously, all positive results had to be reported to ISDH.

• All long-term care facilities, jails, prisons or other congregate housing facilities must report positive COVID-19 test results for all patients, residents, offenders and employees within 24 hours of receiving a positive result.

• All long-term care facilities, jails, prisons or other congregate housing facilities are required to report any COVID-19-related deaths or suspected COVID-19-related deaths of patients, residents, offenders or employees to ISDH within 24 hours of the facilities’ knowledge of the death.

The order ensures uniformity and timeliness in the reporting of cases and deaths.

Comments

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Just returned from Walmart wearing a mask and using disinfectant wipes to push the cart. My husband sat in the car for 20 minutes and watched - 10 people came out wearing mask and or gloves. 73 people came out wearing nothing to protect them. 3 children wearing nothing. What is the locals doing to protect the spread?

-- Posted by putnam_comp on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 2:12 PM
Once you start whining about what others are doing instead of focusing only on what putnam_comp is doing, you put grease on the accusatorial slide where we get to question your wisdom for foolishly putting others at risk during your essential soda pop foray knowing that you could be just as asymptomatic as anyone else might be from the Wuhan Province.

Moral of the story?

Don't do that.

-- Posted by DouglasQuaid on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 3:15 PM
The mask doesn't protect you; it may protect others FROM you. It's selfish not to wear one. Why would anyone go IN Walmart when the pick-up is so easy and efficient?

-- Posted by unbiased on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 4:41 PM
Call me crazy but the last thing most of us want during a pandemic are more hands touching more peoples' purchases. The more you have touching things, the higher the numbers of points-of-communicability, regardless of the hit-and-miss usage of gloves and masks by various staff between the producers and the consumers... So, perhaps it's selfish of you to increase the number of times respective employees provoke opportunities of infection when forced to increase their exposure to surfaces known to be prone to human points-of-contact just so you can enjoy the convenience of curbside grocery pickup under the false belief it equates to decreased risk? After all, who's more likely to contract a contagion known to live for X number of days on different surfaces? A Walmart produce associate who makes 100 trips back-and-forth between their storage cooler and the produce display cases to assist in pickup collections or the other associate who makes only 50 or 25?

Therefor, the more you use their pickup approach, the more they make their trips.

The more they make their trips, the more you're contributing to their increased points-of-infection.

So, if it's selfish to avoid as-yet optional apparel from your clothing ensemble during these existential threats, then it's equally as selfish to rely on systems which force people to pick up and deliver your groceries which then have to be taken out to your car when it can result in provoking opportunities for not only their own infection, but yours as well.

You selfish clod!

-- Posted by DouglasQuaid on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 6:09 PM
DQ is right on with this one. Still trying to solve the word search of a post you rambled in the other story. I’ve got a WW2 codebreaker working on it now.

-- Posted by Koios on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 6:24 PM
I feel like I'm watching the movie "A Beautiful Mind" every time DQ and Dead Pirates post. I really do enjoy the entertainment although I'm usually out of breath trying to read a DQ post with one period every 10,000 words.

-- Posted by RSOTS on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 7:29 PM
erjvh, stop being lazy and put your back into it or else I'll be forced to throttle you again with my omniscient prose.

In conclusion, just remember this, my children: all work and no play makes for a dull Banner Graphic post response.

Until next time, chaps!

-- Posted by DouglasQuaid on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 7:51 PM
I feel like I’ve had a fantasy trip to Mars.

I guess sitting in your car judging everyone who walks out of the local Walmart is still our official pastime. Some things never change.

-- Posted by techphcy on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 11:00 PM
I am not confident that in twenty years when people look back at this moment and see the comments recorded that they will think we were a sane and wise bunch.

-- Posted by beg on Fri, Apr 10, 2020, at 11:53 PM
beg, it's time to get down with the sickness.

-- Posted by DouglasQuaid on Sat, Apr 11, 2020, at 8:36 PM

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