NEWS RELEASE                                                
For Immediate Release

March 20, 2020

(BATAVIA, Ohio) – Clermont County Public Health (CCPH) is reporting the first positive case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in a Clermont County resident.

The patient is a female in her 60’s. She is not hospitalized and has not had any recent travel history or any known exposure to a confirmed case.

“Following protocol set by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), our nursing staff has been in contact with the individual since we were notified of the positive test result,” said Health Commissioner Julianne Nesbit. “We have been working with the individual to identify people who she has come in contact with and are advising those individuals to self-quarantine for 14 days.”

“We have been preparing for this for several weeks and have been working closely with our county Emergency Management Agency and ODH to make sure we have all the resources we need,” said Nesbit.

COVID-19 is spread primarily through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. The symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

To prevent the spread people should:

• Stay at home if you are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover your cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands with soap and water frequently.
• Practice social distancing and try to keep six feet away from people when in public places.
• Stay at home when you are sick.

“If you are sick, you should call your doctor,” said Nesbit. “They can rule out other illnesses and determine if a patient needs to be tested for COVID-19 or not.”

“The changes we are making to our lifestyle may be a temporary inconvenience but they are for the greater good of our community,” said Nesbit.

For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio visit ODH’s website at www.coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4ASKODH. The state updates its numbers every day at 2 p.m. Our case will be included in the next update.

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