Hancock County’s first case of COVID-19 is a 21- year-old woman

The following news release was posted by Hancock Public Health March 22, 2020.

PRESS RELEASE- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Multiple cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Ohio over the past
several weeks and more will be identified in the coming days and weeks. In
Hancock County, we have been preparing for our first identified case since we
have known that community spread has begun. We can now confirm that
Hancock County has its first positive case of COVID-19. The patient is a 21-
year-old female Hancock County resident. People who have been in contact
with the patient will be contacted by Hancock Public Health.

Hancock Public Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi explains “This is what
we have been expecting since evidence of community spread has existed in
Ohio. We do expect to see more positive cases to appear in the coming days
and weeks in Hancock County. We have been in daily communication with
Blanchard Valley Health System and local government leaders to ensure that
we are prepared. In order to avoid overwhelming our health care system by
slowing the spread of infection, we want to stress at this time the importance of
all of us adhering to the Governor’s orders as well as continuing to practice the
precautions that have been shared regularly by the Governor’s office.”

There is a lot of misinformation shared during global events and public health
threats, especially on social media. Only trust verified information sources,
such as Centers for Disease Control, Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the
Governor’s office, your local health department and verified media. If you
have questions about COVID-19, call 1-833-4ASKODH (1-833-427-5634) or
visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov. For local information and resources please
call the Hancock County Resource Call Center at 419-425-9999. If you are
experiencing three of the following four symptoms: shortness of breath, cough,
fatigue, or fever of 100.4 or greater please call 419-423-7890 to be considered
for testing for COVID-19.

A press conference will be held today Sunday March 22 at 1pm. The
press conference will also be streamed live through Facebook Live.