Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: COVID-19

  • Loveland closes park playgrounds and basketball courts

    Loveland closes park playgrounds and basketball courts

    The playground equipment at the Loveland Primary/Elementary school campus has been wrapped in yellow caution tape.

     

    Loveland and Miami Township, Ohio – To prevent the spread of the COVID 19 virus, the City of Loveland has corraled play equipment in their parks with yellow caution tape following the recommendations of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.*

    The playground in Loveland’s Kiwanis Park on Wall Street in the West Loveland Historic District
    The basketball court in Loveland’s Kiwanis Park on Wall Street in the West Loveland Historic District
    The playground in Nisbet Park in downtown Loveland

    Miami Township has removed the rims at park playground basketball courts after witnessing people who were not social distancing.

    Miami Township • Clermont County OH

    BASKETBALL COURTS CLOSED

    We are now physically removing all rims from the basketball courts at our four parks. The courts are now closed to all. Thank you for your cooperation.

    This also means they’re not available for the examples we saw this week: a father and daughter using one; a mother and son and a couple of siblings shooting together.

    Although this was suggested by the Governor (not ordered), we had hopes park goers would act responsibly so families, and individuals, would have a place to go to get fresh air & physical activity.

    *Here is the Stay at Home Order from the Ohio Department of Health.

  • State and County statements on coronavirus (COVID-19)

    State and County statements on coronavirus (COVID-19)

    “Fortunately, we have had no confirmations of COVID-19.”

    HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO– Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH), as one of 113 local health departments in Ohio, is part of a highly-organized prevention and response effort for the coronavirus, or COVID-19 outbreak.  The agency is in lockstep with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in managing protocols for prevention and if necessary, mitigation of cases of COVID-19.

    “As of today, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio,” says Greg Kesterman, interim health commissioner at HCPH.  “We are working diligently with resources at the local, state and federal levels to make sure our response plan is up-to-date, our partners are well-informed, and the healthcare community knows exactly how to handle any eventuality.”

    Symptoms of the COVID-19 in people who have been exposed can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little-to-no symptoms to people becoming severely ill and dying.

    Current responsibilities for local health departments are working together across Ohio to monitor individuals returning from travel in China and other countries.  ODH is informed of travelers returning to Ohio.  If a traveler returns to Hamilton County, HCPH is responsible for monitoring and quarantining those individuals for 14 days – the incubation period for COVID-19.  Monitoring includes daily temperature checks while the local health department is in constant communication with those quarantined.  If a person develops symptoms during the quarantine period, HCPH helps them get the care they need.

    “To date, we have been responsible for monitoring people who fit the travel criteria established by CDC,” Kesterman says.  “Fortunately, we have had no confirmations of COVID-19.”

    Another important public health responsibility is contact tracing.  If an individual develops symptoms, health department staff track and monitor individuals with whom they may have had contact.  These could include family members, friends, work colleagues or other individuals.

    HCPH and health departments across the State are in constant contact with ODH.  There are regular conference calls with the State and health care facilities to share current information and guidance and to stay on top of ever-changing challenges with the response to coronavirus.

    “The actions that we’re all taking are very similar to our work during the Ebola response in 2014,” Kesterman adds.  “What we’re doing is very typical public health work.  We update plans, track and monitor those potentially exposed and then put protocols into place to prevent the risk of spreading the virus.”

    According to the CDC, imported cases of COVID-19 in travelers have been detected in the U.S. Person-to-person spread of COVID-19 also has been seen among close contacts of returned travelers from Wuhan, China but at this time, this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States.  The potential public health threat posed by COVID-19 is high, both globally and to the United States.

    But individual risk is dependent on exposure.  For the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.  Under current circumstances, certain people will have an increased risk of infection, for example healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 and other close contacts of persons with COVID-19.

    Flu is currently a greater threat to public health.  HCPH urges everyone to get a flu shot.  It’s not too late and at the very least, the vaccine can help lessen symptoms and reduce their duration.

    For more information on flu and COVID-19, visit: www.hcph.org; www.cdc.gov; or odh.ohio.gov.

    Ohio Governor DeWine and the Ohio Health Director released an update COVID-19 Prevention and Preparedness Plan

    Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was joined by Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, MD, MPH; Cuyahoga County Health Director Terry Allan, MPH; and MetroHealth President and CEO, Akram Boutros, M.D., FACHE today gave an update on the state’s preparedness and education efforts to limit the potential spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio nor anyone currently under investigation for the virus.

    “I want to be clear that the threat of Coronavirus in Ohio and the United States remains low,” said Governor Mike DeWine, “but this could change, and we have to be prepared.  I believe it is imperative that we are open with the public and are communicating information in real-time about the Coronavirus to both inform and educate our communities.  We will communicate what we know, when we know it.”

    COVID-19 is a respiratory virus strain that has only spread in people since December 2019. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to consider the health risk from COVID-19 to be low among the general public in the U.S. However, COVID-19 continues to be an issue of concern internationally and there is potential for an eventual community person-to-person spread to occur in this country. 

    “Since the start of this outbreak, we’ve taken a proactive approach to prepare and carefully monitor potential cases and travelers about COVID-19 in Ohio,” said Dr. Acton. “As the CDC advised, we need to be prepared for community spread of COVID-19. We are working to make sure our healthcare partners, first responders, state agencies, and local health departments have the resources they need to respond.”

    Today Governor DeWine ordered the following action by state agencies:

    •     The Ohio Department of Transportation will post information from the Ohio Department of Health in all state rest areas on hand washing protocols including messages on Ohio Travel TV.
    •     The Departments of Rehabilitation and Corrections and Youth Services will increase frequency and use of disinfectant measures in all their state facilities to protect inmates, families, and staff.
    •     The Governor called on Ohio college and university leaders to urge every student and faculty member on their campuses who have not yet received a shot to get one at their health clinic immediately. 
    •     The Governor is asking our college and university leaders to prohibit college travel to nations where the CDC has recommended no travel, such as China and South Korea. 
    •     The Governor is asking college and universities to take appropriate action to accommodate students who are studying abroad and may need to come back to the United States. 
    •     The Governor is asking the Ohio Department of Aging to continue working with local aging networks to identify the most vulnerable older adults with the highest needs to make sure that plans are in place to meet their needs – whether that is providing additional meals or additional medication or other personal care needs.
    •     The Governor is asking local aging advocates across Ohio to go out into their communities to check on nursing care facilities to ensure that all illness prevention methods are in place.  
    •     The State of Ohio will also be paying aggressive attention to common areas in state-owned buildings, including significantly increased cleaning frequency of these areas and hand sanitizer stations in common lobbies and hallways.

    Governor DeWine announced that on Thursday of next week, the state will be convening a summit in Columbus for all of Ohio’s local public health departments and health commissioners and staff that will include members of the Governor’s Cabinet.   

    Symptoms of the COVID-19 in people who have been exposed can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little-to-no symptoms to people becoming severely ill and dying.

    “As this situation evolves, we will continually update Ohioans through our website, odh.ohio.gov, our Facebook page and our Twitter account,” said Dr. Acton “It’s important to remember that the most accurate and timely information regarding this outbreak is available through the Ohio Department of Health, as well as the CDC.”

    For information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the Ohio Department of Health website at www.odh.ohio.gov or coronavirus.ohio.gov

  • Coronavirus: Local preparedness planning

    Coronavirus: Local preparedness planning

    There are no reported cases in the Tri-State

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Magazine reached out to local officials this morning asking them how they are preparing for a possible local outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). We asked the Loveland City Manager, the School Superintendant, the Loveland/Symmes Fire Department Chief, and the Loveland Police Chief, what are local leaders are doing to prepare for a possible Coronavirus outbreak. We also asked, “What would you like to say to the public to assure them that plans are in effect or being made and are you recommending any action the public should take now?

    It appears that there is no coordinated response or planning however here is what we know at this time.

    Fire Chief Otto Huber was the first to respond

    As you know Loveland and  Symmes have PODS “Points of Distributions “ for the health department. We are one of the only drive thru PODS in the County. We recently ran a drill at Loveland High School with the Health Commissioner to practice the plan. So measures are in place, plans have been written and practiced should their be a need to distribute medications.

    Our 911 operators are screening callers with flu like symptoms and their travel history. They pass that information on to the paramedics.

    We are briefed by the health commissioner and by the CDC weekly.

    The public should practice the standard flu season precautions like wash your hands frequently and coughing into your sleeve. If they intend to travel they should follow the Center for Disease Control recommendations.

    Our emergency operations center remains at a ready state to manage this or any emergency that may present itself. We ask our residents  to stay informed through good information sources like the CDC and the World Health Organization.
    City Manager Dave Kennedy responded:
    At this point I’m working with Julie (HR Director) to prepare valuable links to put on our website. We are looking for links that are accurate and regularly updated.
    This afternoon Kennedy released this information on the City Web Site:

    Coronavirus Update and Information Links

    The Center For Disease Control (CDC) considers the current spread of COVID-19 a serious situation and is taking preparedness measures to slow the progression of the virus. And while the immediate risk to the American public is still currently low, the outbreak of the virus is rapidly changing. Mayor and Council feel that it is important that our residents have the most up to date information on the Coronavirus readily available.

    At 4 PM the School District responded:

    Loveland Schools have ongoing plans to mitigate situations involving contagious diseases, including following the guidance of state and local health departments, and:

    • Closely monitoring, planning and implementing action items as needed. We work very closely with the Safety Center professionals as part of our planning.
    • We encourage parents to reinforce good hand washing, proper coughing etiquette (cough into sleeve/elbow or tissues), and keeping students home who have flu symptoms (fever, muscle aches, cough, lethargy, etc.)
    • Reminding parents that it is very important to keep contact information up-to-date so that students can be sent home quickly if they are showing symptoms.
    • Ongoing training for custodial staff to make sure they stay current on disinfecting procedures that are most effective for the current viruses.
    • Reviewing contingency plans in the event of a school closure and the plans used in 2009 for the H1N1 virus.

    In addition, parents and students are encouraged to keep their immune systems strong by:

    • Not skipping breakfast; making sure you eat food high in vitamin C and other essential vitamins and minerals.
    • Exercise, especially outdoor and in the fresh air.
    • For drainage and sore throat, gargle with warm salt water several times a day.
    • Drinking warm teas and liquids with honey to help flush out bacteria and soothing the throat.
    • Avoiding close contact with sick persons.
    • Keep hands away from T-zone (mouth, eyes, nose).
    • Stay home when sick; cover coughs and sneezes and disinfect high touch objects and surfaces.
    • Seek medical care if showing symptoms, especially fever, cough or difficulty breathing.

    In response to our inquiry the District said they have now published the March 2020 Health Beat newsletter by the District’s Health Services on the School website. It can be viewed HERE.