• Commissioners declare state of emergency
• Mary Rutan Hospital further restricts visitation policies
• New MRH public information website launched
Logan County officials continue to take proactive measures to help reduce any local health impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, as the county commission on Tuesday announced a formal state of emergency, and Mary Rutan Hospital launched a new public health website dedicated to information about the spread and effects of the virus.
In addition to facts concerning protection from and contraction of the coronavirus, maryrutan.org/covid-19-coronavirus-update/ outlines screening precautions being taken for patients and visitors into the facility.
Patients at Mary Rutan Hospital may now have a maximum of two visitors per day, and only one at a time, with some exceptions. All volunteer programs at the hospital have been suspended until further notice.
There are now two points of entry at the hospital, and all visitors are being actively screened for fever and any other COVID-19 symptoms, such as shortness of breath or persistent cough.
A resolution approved Tuesday by the Logan County Commissioners to declare a state of emergency in the county will help free up state and federal aid and resources such as extra personal protective medical equipment to help against any increase in hospital admissions and demand on materials.
The Logan County state of emergency declaration follows similar federal and state government declarations issued previously.
Logan County Health District in a public statement Tuesday said that there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Logan County, and there have been 67 confirmed cases in Ohio.
The health district has declined to say how many coronavirus tests have been administered in Logan County.
Mary Rutan Hospital is working closely with the health district, MRH administrators said.
Local private health practices suspect they have been seeing patients with some form of coronavirus symptoms for some time already.
Maple Leaf Family and Sports Medicine in a Facebook post called it “likely” that patients have been coming in to be seen with mild to moderate coronavirus symptoms “for a couple weeks.”
In the event there are confirmed COVID-19 cases in Logan County, local officials intend to be prepared for any increase in hospital admissions, and ensure that first responders have access to materials they need quell the pandemic.
To help preserve necessary medical supplies such as gloves, gowns and masks, all non-essential surgeries have been postponed through April 13.
“This temporary measure will allow us to conserve supplies in the anticipated surge in COVID-19 cases.
Health officials have not said how many local tests are being administered, but hospital officials have said that only people who really need a virus test will be given one.
“Testing is limited and Mary Rutan Hospital is working wiht the Logan County Health District to prioritize testing to only patients who meet CDC- established criteria.