COVID cases drop for second week in a row

BY JD LONG (jim@harrisonnewsherald.com)

CADIZ—After seven weeks of a continual rise in COVID-19 cases in late summer — with a few delta variants mixed in, case counts have now begun to fall. The positive cases have dropped for the second straight week. According to Harrison County Health Department administrator Garen Rhome, 43 cases have been recorded from the past week, compared to last week’s 63 and the 130 two weeks ago.

There have now been a total of 1,708 cases recorded in Harrison County, with 60 active cases. The death rate remains at 27, but Rhome said there might be a few more; they’re waiting on formal confirmation.

Rhome said of the 43 new cases, only four are minors. He also added that 10-20% of the cases are breakthrough cases (people that have already been vaccinated).

“But that’s to be expected,” he stated. “No vaccine is going to work 100% of the time.” Rhome said they have now administered over 100 booster shots and are happy to hear that people are also seeking other means to receive the shots, such as inquiring at local pharmacies.

Rhome said they had been accepting walkins on Mondays and Thursdays, but they are changing that. They are currently developing another plan but haven’t nailed it down yet.

He also touched on last week’s news of the Harrison Hills Board of Education’s vote to continue the mask mandate. Rhome said masks work and that any barrier will block some droplets, and he’s in favor of it. This also coincides with news of a Cincinnati children’s study (Cincinnati Enquirer 9/22, Terry DeMio) stating that quarantines are lower in schools with mask mandates, which echoes the words of Harrison Hills superintendent Dana Snider from last week’s meeting.