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Area COVID-19 case rates steady

New COVID-19 case rates remained relatively steady in the area with a slight increase at the state level, according to the most recent statistics from the Ohio Department of Health.

Ohio averaged 441.6 new cases per 100,000 people from July 21 to Aug. 3 after posting a rate of 438.5 from July 14-27. Gallia County, population 29,898, had the highest rate out of the state’s 88 counties for the second week in a row, but it decreased from 1,032 per 100,000 to 970 (308 cases to 290).

Locally, Athens County had the highest rate, though it declined from 581.7 (17th in the state) to 549.5 (20th) per 100,000. That’s based on 359 new cases among its 65,327 residents after recording 380 during the prior period.

Washington County, population 59,911, had 288 new cases over the last two weeks for a rate of 480.7 per 100,000, 38th in the state. In the previous span, there were 278 new cases for a rate of 464, 39th.

Four additional cases (from 61 to 65) pushed Monroe County’s rate from 446.8 per 100,000 to 476.1. The county of 13,654 residents rose from the 44th highest rate to 39th.

Noble County’s new cases totaled 56 in both periods, keeping its rate at 388.2, though the county of 14,424 slid from 61st to 66th in the state.

Morgan County, population 14,508, recorded 49 new cases, one more than the last period. That moved its rate from 330.9 per 100,000 (76th) to 337.7 (73rd).

Morgan was the only area county to be labeled “medium” on this week’s COVID Community Levels from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The other four remained high, under which the agency recommends people wear masks in indoor public settings.

Athens, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties all posted more than 200 new cases in the seven days prior to the levels being updated Thursday. In addition, Washington County’s rate of new hospital admissions with COVID was 27.8 per 100,000 for the preceding seven days.

Marietta Memorial Hospital had 19 COVID patients on Friday, said Jennifer Offenberger, associate vice president, service excellence, for Memorial Health System.

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