Putnam County returned to a Red Level 3 on the Ohio COVID Health Advisory System on Thursday, joining Hancock and Hardin Counties.
In our area, Putnam County has one of the higher percentages of their population vaccinated. Which leaves the question, why are case numbers going up? The Putnam County Health Commissioner, Kim Rieman, says this could be due to COVID fatigue in the community. Many are wearing masks less and gathering more. Rieman also says the virus variant making rounds in the state could be a factor in the increasing cases as well.
"The variant that we were seeing as just a variant has now become the primary strain that is in our area. I’m sure that is affecting our area as well as others around the state," says Rieman. "We still need to be vigilant. I don’t want people to be concerned, but I don’t want people to also stop doing the things that we know work.”
Rieman also wants to remind the public that vaccine appointments are still available at the Putnam County Health Department for Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16. They can be scheduled at gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov.
