A small group of around 15 Daviess County residents concerned about the Health Department’s decision to move schools to virtual learning status and suspending athletic contests and practices for the next two weeks gathered across the street from the Government Center yesterday afternoon to protest the decision. According to interviews conducted by the Washington Times-Herald, while the move to virtual learning was mentioned, the focus of the gathering seemed to be the suspension of extra-curricular activities, which includes basketball games. The Times-Herald interviewed both Barr-Reeve Coach Josh Thompson and North Daviess Coach Brent Dalrymple, who expressed concern about the shut down of basketball for two weeks.
In a separate interview, Daviess County Commissioner’s President Nathan Gabhart told the Times-Herald that Daviess County had 170 new positive cases last Friday through Sunday and only two empty beds at Daviess Community Hospital. Gabhart noted that other area hospitals’ capabilities are also maxed out. Gabhart also noted that contact tracing is not working in the County because many people violate quarantine procedures and others simply do not return the contact tracking phone calls.
On October 24, the Health Department issued a letter asking County resdients to help in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the County, but that has not helped. Gabhart noted the number of cases in the County and the death toll has continued to rise.
Also, on Monday, the Indiana Department of Health announced Monday that Daviess County had 31 new confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths since the department’s last report on Sunday. This puts the County’s increase in cases at 201 over the four-day period since Friday. The county’s 7-day positivity rate is 12.9%. The County’s death toll remains at 43.
