Coronavirus (COVID19) | Ross County Health District

About Coronavirus Outbreak 2019

An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19)—which developed in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and has since spread internationally—is now being closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, where cases have since been confirmed. Ohio now has community spread of COVID-19. The first case was reported in Ross County Ohio on March 30, 2020.

What Ross County Health District (RCHD) is Doing

RCHD is closely monitoring and responding to COVID-19 activity in Ross County, along with our partners at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). RCHD has activated the Incident Command System—a coordinated system designed for effective and efficient response to emergencies—and is working on several initiatives to slow COVID-19 spread in the community, allocate resources for COVID-19 response, and prepare our community for impact COVID-19 may have. The Ross County Commissioners fully activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for a coordinated community response to COVID-19 and to establish a unified system or communication across multiple sectors in our community, government officials, health officials, first responders, law enforcement, and health systems.

Ross County Health District Highly Recommends:

Do not attend large gatherings or meetings. Utilize virtual or web-based meetings or communication for work, school, religious or social.
Stay home when possible. Stay home if sick.
Self quarantine and isolate if you have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19, if you have symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have travelled to locations abroad or locally that have COVID-19 cases. COVID.19 Quarantine Instructions 03.24.2020 COVID.19 Isolation Instructions 03.24.2020
Work from home if possible.
Those who are 65+ years or older or have underlying health conditions to stay home and avoid large gatherings of people.
Practice physical distancing – maintain 6 ft distance from others.
Follow all Public Health Orders issued by Governor Dewine and Ohio Department of Health related to COVID-19, stay at home orders, and social distancing.

Preventing Coronavirus

Practice social distancing, avoid crowds or becoming in close proximity to others.
Frequent hand washing for 20 second or more with soapy water
Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth
Stay home when you are sick and avoid contact with people who are sick
Cover mouth/nose with tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

How to Prepare

Keep adequate supply of water, food, medications and pet food in your home.
Talk to caregivers about backup plans if a primary caregiver becomes ill.
Meet with immediate family to discuss possible needs.

Keep Informed

Stay up to date by utilizing trusted sources of information including:

Center for Disease Control (CDC): cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
Ohio Department of Health (ODH): coronavirus.ohio.gov
Ross County Health District: rosscountyhealth.org/covid19, Facebook (Ross County Health District), and Twitter (@RossCoHealth).