County has had 843 COVID-19 cases

As health care officials continue to brace for a fall surge in COVID-19, Putnam County continues to see an increase in cases.

The county has had 843 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March, the Indiana State Department of Health reported Monday. The marks an increase of 67 since one week ago.

Perhaps more alarming to officials, the county’s weekly COVID score was increased to a two, or Orange, on the state’s scale for COVID-19 released last Wednesday.

The score is determined by a combination of a county’s seven-day positivity rate on all tests and its weekly cases per 100,000 residents.

For the week of Oct. 19-25, Putnam’s rate of 215 cases per 100,000 residents scored as a three on the zero to three scale. Meanwhile, Putnam’s 7.33 percent positivity rate for the same period rated as a one, for an average of two.

The state scale utilizes four colors: Blue (0 and .5), Yellow (1 and 1.5), Orange (2 and 2.5)■and Red (3).

The new score for Oct. 26-Nov. 1 will be released on Wednesday.

Putnam’s most recent seven-day positivity rate shows at 6.6 percent on all tests and 13.1 percent on unique individuals, according to ISDH.

One new death has been reported in Putnam County in the last week, bringing the local total to 17.

Meanwhile, Cloverdale and Greencastle school corporations both remain on a virtual learning model through the end of this week, while South Putnam returned from a period of virtual learning on Monday.

All of the closures are linked to staff shortages rather than large COVID-19 outbreaks.

Greencastle has now had three students and two staff members test positive, while at Cloverdale it has been three students and three staff members.

Meanwhile, South Putnam has had two students and one staff member, while North Putnam has had two students and four staff members.

DePauw University has seen a decrease in active cases in the last week, down from seven to two.

To date, 15 students have tested positive, along with nine staff members.

There has been little change in Putnam County’s long-term care facilities in the last week, with two additional staff members testing positive at Asbury Towers.

At Putnamville Correctional Facility, the Indiana Department of Correction reports 13 offenders are in isolation for possibly having the disease, while nine others are in quarantine for possible exposure. A total of 251 Putnamville offenders have recovered from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, 45 Putnamville staff members have tested positive, 34 of whom have recovered and one of whom has died.