A spike of new COVID-19 cases has put the total number of confirmed cases in Daviess County over 1,000. So far this month the county has added 83 new confirmed cases bringing the total number to 1,056 including 36 deaths.
“We are having more and more spread,” said Daviess County Health Nurse Kathy Sullender. “That is the result of community spread that we’ve traced back to a couple of large parties and events.”
Daviess County remains in the high “orange” category according to the state rating system indicating that there is a high spread of the disease. According to the Indiana State Department of Health website, Daviess County is at 335 cases per 100,000 people. The positivity rate, which is the percentage of positive test results compared
to all tests, is at 14.19% and on the rise from a little more than 10% last week.
“You just cannot let your guard down,” said Sullender. “COVID is still lurking around. You go to a party to have some fun and instead you wind up with COVID.”
The health department reports the increases have been in the 20-to-40 age group, and those people are then spreading it to more susceptible family and friends.
“I get it,” said Sullender. “People are COVID weary. But the disease doesn’t care. These people feel the disease won’t happen to them. These 20-to-40-year-olds are out living life. They are young and healthy, but they are spreading it to the rest of us.”
One thing that has changed recently is that Daviess County just recently opened a free COVID test site. People can go to the Daviess Community Hospital’s Quick Care Clinic to receive those tests.
“That is working out well,” said Sullender. “It is very busy. It is a good thing we got it going when we did.”
Daviess County is not the only county in southwestern Indiana seeing a jump in coronavirus cases. Knox County has had a run of COVID cases raising the total number of cases to 1,000 with 10 deaths.
Dubois County has gone into the ISDH “red” stage. Total COVID cases now stand at 1,723. The number of new cases translate to 449 per 100,000 people. The positivity rate is on the rise and now stands at 15.86%.
Health officials say the best way to fight the virus is to remain vigilant, wear a mask, socially distance, wash your hands and sanitize common surfaces.
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