Providence Care Center now has 105 cases, five deaths

SANDUSKY — Providence Care Center, still under siege from a COVID-19 outbreak, had 105 total cases and five deaths as of Friday, the Erie County Health Department reported. With additional control measures now in place for two weeks, it's expected new cases will decline, said Ashley Franks, epidemiologist for the Erie County Health Department. A third round of tests were carried out Thursday and Friday at Providence, 2025 Hayes Ave., with results expected over the weekend and early next week, Franks said. Franks said 70 residents and 35 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, five deaths have been reported, and two residents have been hospitalized. Describing the control measures put into place, Franks said residents who have symptoms or who tested positive have been placed in isolation to separate them from other residents. "They have actually blocked off separate units with doors and plastic wrap," Franks said. Designated staff members work only in the COVID-19 unit and they use an entrance and exit separate from the rest of the staff, Franks said. The staff is using personal protective equipment. Franks said Providence has adopted all of the recommendations from the Erie County Health Department. The local health department and the state health department both have been carrying out inspections at the nursing home, she said. As of Thursday, Erie County is one of just six Ohio counties rated as red counties, with a high transmission of COVID-19. On Friday, the local health department reported Erie County has had 779 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 16 since Wednesday, and has had 36 deaths. Five patients were being treated for COVID-19 at Firelands Regional Medical Center. Huron County received a yellow coding in Thursday's new advisory, the best-possible rating, and Huron County Public Health reported the number of new cases has declined sharply. The local health agency issued its weekly update Friday afternoon. It says, "Since Aug. 20, 2020, Huron County saw an increase in 8 confirmed COVID-19 cases. This increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases is the lowest increase reported in weeks." As of Friday, Huron County had a total of 442 cases and six deaths. No one in Huron County was hospitalized Friday for COVID-19. Ottawa County was rated orange in Thursday's advisory — worse than a yellow rating, but better than red. On Friday, the county had a total of 446 cases and 29 deaths, the state health department said. Sandusky County was rated yellow in the Thursday advisory. It had 505 cases and 17 deaths Friday. Ohio had 120,124 total cases Friday, and 4,105 deaths. Ohio reported 1,296 new cases and 29 new deaths Friday. The U.S. had 5,901,393 total cases and 181,409 deaths as of Friday, while the world had 24,563,380 cases and 833,466 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.