COVID-19 Coverage

Wayne County allowing hair/nail salons, barbers, tattoo artists to reopen May 11

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Wayne County will allow personal services such as hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlors “and the like” to begin to reopen Monday, May 11, according to a statement released Saturday by Wayne County Health Department. They may be open by appointment only. Employees must wear face coverings, and work stations must be at least 6 feet apart. Wayne County Health Department encourages facilities to have policies to require the public to wear face coverings to provide protection to the staff, to the extent it is possible. The policy follows Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Roadmap to Get Back on Track.

News

May 9: Wayne County has 52 positive COVID cases

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May 9: Wayne County has 52 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. The county had two deaths earlier in the week related to the virus, bringing local fatalities to five. Delaware County leads east central Indiana with 219 positive cases (and 15 deaths), followed by Franklin County with 104 positive cases (and seven deaths). Henry County has 72 cases (2 deaths), Fayette County has 36 cases (4 deaths) Randolph County has 21 cases (2 deaths) and Union County has eight cases (0 deaths). Marion County leads the state with 7,245 positives and 412 deaths.

COVID-19 Coverage

Wayne County confirms 2 more residents’ deaths from COVID

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Wayne County Health Department has confirmed two more local deaths related to COVID-19, with the information announced Thursday afternoon (May 7). The deaths took place at Reid Health on May 6 and May 7. Both of the Wayne County victims were men, with one older than 60 and older than 70. Wayne County now has had five deaths related to COVID-19. The health department has counted 51 presumptive positive lab cases and an additional 77 clinically diagnosed cases among Wayne County residents.

COVID-19 Coverage

May 6: Wayne County at 49 COVID positives

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As of Thursday, May 6, Wayne County has 49 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Franklin County has 101 cases, Henry County has 59, Fayette County has 34, Randolph County has 18 and Union County has eight. In Reid Health’s eight-county service area, it has had 90 lab-confirmed positive cases, and now has 43 patients in containment areas at the hospital. Reid has submitted a total of 1,085 tests for processing. A total of 584 tests have been given in Wayne County, with 754 in Henry, 274 tests in Randolph, 259 in Franklin, 239 in Fayette and 63 in Union.

COVID-19 Coverage

County, city delay openings for public pools/water activities, movie theaters

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Local officials have decided to make a couple of COVID-19-related restrictions more stringent than those by Indiana’s governor. Based on recommendations by Wayne County Health Department, county commissioners and Richmond’s mayor approved a joint executive order on May 6 that puts in place a more restrictive and extended date for the reopening of public access swimming pools and water-featured activities, such as splash pads, both publicly and privately owned. Reopening of those pools and water activities should not occur before June 14, unless the restriction is subsequently modified by the mayor and/or commissioners. They also concluded the date for reopening of movie theaters should be extended until June 14, when theaters can open at 50 percent capacity, unless changed in the meantime. In addition, the executive order says that any employee (public or private) who comes into contact with the public shall wear a protective face covering while directly involved and interacting with members of the public.

COVID-19 Coverage

May 6: Wayne County up to 44 cases; Reid shows 85 positive tests

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As of noon Wednesday, May 6, Reid Health has 85 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, with 51 patients in containment areas at the hospital. Reid has submitted a total of 1,045 tests for its eight-county service area. As of May 6, Wayne County has 44 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Franklin County now has 101 cases. Henry County has 47 cases, Fayette County has 33, Randolph County has 18, and Union County has eight.

COVID-19 Coverage

May 5: Wayne County at 41 COVID cases; Franklin at 99

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Data released Tuesday, May 5, shows Wayne County now has 41 positive cases of COVID-19, with another area county approaching 100 cases. Indiana State Department of Health data shows 99 in Franklin County, 47 cases in Henry County, followed by 30 in Fayette County, 17 in Randolph County and seven in Union County. As of noon May 5, Reid Health has had 82 positive cases of COVID in its eight-county service area, with 52 patients in containment areas at the hospital. Reid has submitted 1,002 tests. The state has 21,033 positive cases, with 1,213 deaths.

COVID-19 Coverage

RHS announces graduation plans

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Richmond High School will give its seniors their diplomas in individual ceremonies in May because of COVID-19. Students will have a drive-through pick up of their caps, gowns and yard signs from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, May 18, in the Career Center parking lot. Beginning May 19, RHS Class of 2020 graduation ceremonies will take place in Civic Hall Performing Arts Center on the RHS campus. Individual RHS seniors and their families will report at a scheduled time for an individual presentation of their diploma. Seniors will be scheduled alphabetically from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Tuesday, May 19-Thursday, May 21, for individual presentations of RHS diplomas.

COVID-19 Coverage

Wayne County urgently seeking poll workers

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Wayne County is seeking those interested in being poll workers to step forward by 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, to commit to the paying job. The Wayne County Election Board met Monday, May 4, and discussed the shortage of poll workers for the 2020 Primary Election. Because of the age of most of the county’s longtime and dedicated poll workers, they fall into the most vulnerable group of individuals to the coronavirus (COVID-19). That has created a huge shortage of poll workers that will require the board to combine vote centers in order to provide enough staffing to a lesser number of vote centers during early voting and Election Day. Personal protective equipment will be available for anyone who is interested in being a poll worker.

COVID-19 Coverage

May 4: Reid counts 77 cases, state exceeds 20,000

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As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 4, Reid Health has 77 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and 47 patients in containment areas at Reid Health. Patients are part of Reid’s eight-county coverage area. The health system has submitted 931 tests, with studies showing a relatively high “false negative” outcome of testing. As of May 4, Indiana has 20,506 cases. There have been 1,151 deaths in the state, according to Indiana State Department of Health.