An open letter from the Ross County Health Commissioner and Medical Director to our community

As you know, Ohio is seeing an unprecedented increase in the spread of COVID-19 across our state and
within our local community. As of November 19, 2020, Ross County has a total of 2211 cases of COVID-19, and we have sadly lost 56 residents due to the coronavirus. A total of 484 cases have been reported to our office since November 1, 2020, and in October, we received over 700 cases.

The increase in cases and hospitalizations across the state serve as a grim reminder that each of us has a responsibility to help slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 within our community. We are urging all residents to use a high degree of caution as we enter the holiday season.

Like many of you, we are weary of COVID-19. Our days are long, and we feel the stress that this pandemic has placed on our community. But, even considering the weariness we feel, we can reverse this troubling trend. We all must work together to ensure that the situation does not get worse. If we continue this current path, we know that we will face more substantial surges by the end of the year. The results of this path could very well have grim outcomes within our community. We have seen an increase in hospitalizations here in our county. Additionally, we face an uncertain future with a decrease in hospital capacity and limited staffing. This may mean that individuals who seek medical care may not be able to receive the care they need because of the increase of COVID-19 cases.

Ross County has been listed as a Level 3 “Red” on the Ohio Public Health Advisory system since October 8, 2020. As Red county, we are advised to limit activities as much as possible, decrease interactions with others, and only travel when necessary. For the sake of your health, the health of your family, and the wellness of our county, we ask that you please take this phase of the pandemic more seriously than ever.

We are encouraging you to celebrate the holidays with only those who live in your household and to limit travel as much as possible. This is the year that traditions need to be paused. In all that we have to be thankful for, I hope that on the other side of this pandemic we are all thankful for the hard choices we made this year. On behalf of the health district, we greatly appreciate your support as we continue to move forward through this pandemic. We look forward to the time when this pandemic is behind us, until then, please wear your mask, maintain your social distance, and stay home if you are ill.

With Gratitude,

Garrett Guillozet, MPA, RS/REHS, AEMT                             Christopher Brown, MD, MPH
Ross County Health Commissioner                                          Ross County Medical Director