ERIE COUNTY, Ohio — A surge of COVID-19 infections in Erie County is being traced back to several places that saw multiple cases recently, including Cedar Point, a summer camp and a daycare center, according to the Erie County Health Department.
Four employees at Cedar Point tested positive for COVID-19 and the health department is currently working with the amusement park's management to identify close contacts of the four individuals both in and out of the workplace.
ECHD said Cedar Point has worked well with them to determine the close contacts and the investigation is in the early stages.
Additionally, on July 29, Beulah Beach shut down its Christian summer camp program after an outbreak of 12 COVID-19 cases were reported among the camp counselors. No campers reported COVID-19 cases and the camp reopened this week after ECHD ruled the outbreak over.
On Aug. 7, the Junior Explorers Child Development Center shut down daycare operations for at least 10 days after four cases of COVID-19 were identified in children at the facility.
ECHD is still working to investigate the cases and determine the level of outbreak.
In Erie County, 110 new COVID-19 cases were reported since Aug. 2, bringing the total number of cases seen in the county to 8,735. Two new COVID-19 related deaths were reported over the past week, making the fatality total 215.
As of Thursday, Aug. 5, Erie County had 171 cases per 100,000 residents over the previous two weeks, the 20th highest out of Ohio's 88 counties, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Of the 138 hospitalized patients at Firelands Regional Medical Center, 11 are COVID-19 positive, according to ECHD.
According to the ODH, 51.68% of Erie County's population has started the vaccination process with 48.60% having completed the process. Erie County currently ranks in the top 20 Ohio counties in terms of the percent of the population that has started the vaccine.
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