The Paulding County Health Department & The Paulding County Emergency Management Agency held a joint news conference at the Paulding County Health Department on Monday afternoon, November 23rd.
In attendance for this conference were PC EMA director, Ed Bohn; Bill Edwards, Emergency Coordinator of Paulding County Health Department; Ron Goedde, CEO of Paulding County Hospital; Coronavirus Defense Team: Greg White, Paulding Village Mayor; Ken Amstutz, PEVS superintendent; Ben Winans, WTLS superintendent. Governor DeWine’s directive, for the formation of Paulding County’s Coronavirus Defense Team. They addressed the escalating numbers of COVID-19 cases in Paulding County, Northwest Ohio and the Tri-State Region.
They then moved onto ways to modify holiday gatherings among family, friends and individual communities. It is everybody’s responsibility to keep themselves and their family safe; it is important to take the necessary precautions against spreading COVID while still celebrating Thanksgiving.
The question and answer time gave the media in attendance (West Bend News, Fox Fort Wayne 55, and ABC21 WPTA) the chance to ask the questions that have been plaguing residents and give some real time answers. Some of the highlighted questions of the of the Live Conference are the following:
Question: What was the reason for the recent closure of Paulding High School for two weeks?
Answer: Ken Amstutz of PEVS stated that due to numerous staff members absent for quarantine orders, they decided to go virtual for two weeks. Ben Winans, WTLS, concurred with this assessment.
Question: How many tests will be available at the Pop Up test site coming up?
Answer: Bill Edwards said it has been requested to have up to 500 tests at the Pop Up site next Monday (see news release on page 1).
Question: What are plans, if any, to enforce quarantine orders of positive cases? Bill Edwards stated enforcing quarantine and isolation is built into the Ohio Revised Code and can be used if need be. Thus far, cases have been compliant to quarantine orders.
Question: How many people admitted to the hospital are of the general population versus assisted living and nursing homes?
Answer: Ron Goedde stated that approximately 50% of patients have come from assisted living & nursing homes.
Watch the entire news conference at West Bend News Facebook or Youtube channel.
