Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued March 22 at 5:43PM EDT until March 23 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 73 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
FAYETTE UNION WAYNE
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
DEARBORN FRANKLIN OHIO RIPLEY SWITZERLAND
IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 3 COUNTIES
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE CAMPBELL KENTON
IN OHIO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 32 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL OHIO
DELAWARE FAIRFIELD FAYETTE FRANKLIN HOCKING LICKING MADISON PICKAWAY UNION
IN SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO
ADAMS HIGHLAND PIKE ROSS SCIOTO
IN SOUTHWEST OHIO
BROWN BUTLER CLERMONT CLINTON HAMILTON WARREN
IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO
AUGLAIZE CHAMPAIGN CLARK DARKE GREENE HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PREBLE SHELBY
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ADA, ALEXANDRIA, AURORA, BATESVILLE, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, CAMDEN, CELINA, CHILLICOTHE, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LOGAN, LONDON, MANCHESTER, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MIDDLETOWN, MILAN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OSGOOD, OXFORD, PEEBLES, PICKERINGTON, PIKE LAKE, PIKETON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, PORTSMOUTH, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SEAMAN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TROY, URBANA, VERSAILLES, VEVAY, WAPAKONETA, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WAVERLY, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WEST UNION, WHEELERSBURG, WILMINGTON, WINCHESTER, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

Mercer County confirms first positive test

By Leslie Gartrell

CELINA - A Mercer County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Mercer County Health District news release.

The district received the test results after 6 p.m. Tuesday and announced the person was a hospitalized patient, health administrator Jason Menchhofer said.

Testing for COVID-19 has been limited to hospitalized patients and symptomatic hospital workers following a directive issued by Gov. Mike DeWine on March 18. No personal information about the patient will be released to protect the individual's privacy, according to the release.

Testing was reportedly completed at an Ohio Department of Health testing lab. Health district staff are working to identify and notify any close contacts who may have been exposed to the person, according to the release.

People can protect themselves against COVID-19 by washing their hands often, covering their mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing and frequently cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. The release states it's equally important to avoid close contact with others and stay at least 6 feet away from others.

Since Monday, Ohioans have been under a direct order from ODH Health Director Amy Acton to stay home to stem the spread of COVID-19. The order will stay in effect until 11:59 p.m. April 6 and prohibits gatherings of any size and closes all nonessential businesses.

According to ODH, 564 cases have been confirmed in 49 counties as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, as well as 145 hospitalizations and eight COVID-19-related deaths. Menchhofer said the health district is aware of eight other people who have been tested for COVID-19 with results pending.

Five people have tested negative, he noted, saying reporting requirements have changed, and suspect cases are not required to be reported to the local health department.

"Only confirmed cases are required to be reported, so it is possible that there are additional tests pending that are unknown to us," Menchhofer said in a separate news release on Tuesday afternoon.

Mercer County residents can contact the district's call center with questions on COVID-19 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. every day at 567-890-2619. Anyone interested in volunteering with the MCHD COVID-19 call center can contact Kristy Fryman at kfryman@mchdohio.org or by phone at 419-586-3251, ext. 1286, for information on joining the Medical Reserve Corps.

Archive of March 25th, 2020

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