COVID-19 cases still mounting
Staff writer
An unremitting onslaught of COVID-19 cases continued Friday with the health department reporting a confirmed case of a woman in her 30s.
The woman, now in isolation, is the seventh new COVID case since Tuesday.
Wednesday saw four new cases followed by two more Thursday.
After a near-record increase of 16 cases in 4 days, the total number of cases in the county now stands at 126.
Thursday’s cases were two women in their 40s — one with a laboratory-confirmed case and the other who developed unique symptoms after exposure to a known source of infection.
Wednesday’s cases were a woman in her 60s, a man in his 50s, a woman in her 40s, and a boy in his teens.
As of Friday, 19 people were under active treatment for COVID, and one person was hospitalized.
Health department nurse Wanda Mannikan said Wednesday there was not yet conclusive evidence that the recent upswing in COVID cases was linked to Old Settlers Day events. Tracing of close contacts in the new cases is still under way.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the incubation period for the virus is 2 to 14 days. Old Settlers Day was eight days before the recent surge in COVID cases began.
The health department continues to recommend that people stay home when they are sick, wear a mask when in public and wash their hands frequently and thoroughly.