Announcements

NOBLE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT COVID-19 HOTLINE NUMBER

260-636-4024

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Stay in the know regarding COVID-19!

www.isdh.in.gov

www.cdc.gov

Symptoms of the COVID-19

Current Case and Death Counts

Update as of 10/15/2020 - Indiana reports 143,495 cases of Covid19. 3654 of those cases have resulted in death.  Noble County reports 1074 cases and 33 deaths at this time.

Covid Etiquette!  By Dr. Terry Gaff - Noble County Health Officer

COVID-19 Etiquette 2020.14

Hopefully, everyone has gotten the message by now that we are supposed to try to keep 6 feet between us and everyone else. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic virus, being closer might endanger us and those around us, which is potentially dangerous and downright rude.

But rudeness can be countered by applying social etiquette. So, here are some rules of COVID-19 etiquette suggested by friends on Facebook.

• First and foremost, stay home if it is not essential.
• Wash, wash, wash those hands. 
• Cover your nose and mouth with a cloth mask, scarf or bandana whenever you leave home. This is not as much to protect you as it is to help keep you from spreading the virus if you have if you already have it with mild or no symptoms.
• Avoid public playgrounds. The virus can stay on the equipment for a long time. So, you or your child might bring it home.
• People with strollers have the right of way on sidewalks and trails.
• Only one person needs to shop, not the whole household.
• If you do shop, follow the social distancing and mask. Encourage the stores to make aisle traffic one way to make social distancing easier.
• Call your friends and family regularly, especially those residing in long term care.
• Get out and walk, run or bike, but mind your distance.
• Enjoy your children, cook with them, do crafts, plant some seeds, hug them. Be glad they are with you and not miles away.
• No basketball at the park!!
• Help someone!
• DON'T VISIT.
• Remove your shoes at the door when you return home.
• If you're an essential worker also remove your clothes (I bag mine) and take a shower. I leave my keys and badge on tray in my enclosed porch where I leave my clothes and shoes. I don't take my purse in the building and I have taken off all my jewelry.
• Banish the negative! Do what it takes to get your mind in a good place. Sing, dance, PRAY without ceasing, take every thought captive and don’t touch your face and wash those hands!
• Shower as soon as you get home from work and bag your clothes until you launder them.
• Wear protective eye wear
• Discuss contingency plans for your care should you become ill, end of life wishes that are also called “advance directives” and be sure loved ones know where to find your records and documents.
• One friend put up an eight-foot table in their attached garage. When the husband (an essential worker) comes home, the groceries he brought go on the table. Shoes stay in the garage. Clothes get bagged and he goes straight to a shower. The table gets sanitized, groceries get wiped off. Once they dry, they are brought in to be put away.
• Greet people with a wave, nod, do not shake hands since respiratory viruses can be passed by shaking hands, then touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Use proper cough etiquette by coughing into your elbow or tissue and disposing the tissue immediately.
• When putting on or removing a mask, only touch the elastic or the strings.
• If you cannot tell which is the inside of a cloth mask, mark it so you can tell.
• Launder your mask between uses.
• Do not mess with your mask or touch your face.
• Act like a celebrity when you see someone; hide your face and get away.
• Love your people from afar!
• Carry hand wipes or sanitizer with you when you need to go out.
• Please dispose of gloves properly. Take a Ziploc bag and put the gloves inside until you can put them in the trash at home.

Feel free to add your own suggestions.

If you need information about how to be safe in this time of uncertainty, consult the websites of reliable sources, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institutes of Health (NIH). But do not become surprised if you cannot find all the answers to your questions, because much is still unknown.

If all else fails, just try to use common sense and courtesy to others.

Isolation vs Quarantine Press Release 09.2020

There seems to be some confusion about what is meant by isolation and quarantine in our response to COVID-19.

Isolation is used to separate people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from people who are not infected, even in their home.

Quarantine keeps someone who might have been exposed to the virus away from others.

Who needs to isolate?

• People who have COVID-19

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19 and are able to recover at home
• People who have no symptoms (are asymptomatic) but have tested positive for the infection

Steps to take to isolate:

• Stay home except to get medical care

• Monitor symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately
• Stay in a separate room from other household members, if possible
• Use a separate bathroom, if possible
• Avoid contact with other members of the household and pets
• Do not share personal household items, like cups, towels, and utensils

• Wear a mask when around other people

After isolation, you can be with others after the following:

• At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
• At least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication and

• Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving

(If you had severe illness from COVID-19, your healthcare provider may recommend that you stay in isolation for longer than 10 days after your symptoms first appeared.)

If you tested positive for COVID-19 but have no symptoms, you can be with others after:

• 10 days have passed since the date you had your positive test
• If you develop symptoms after testing positive, follow the guidance above.

On the other hand, quarantine is separating and restricting the movement of people who were exposed to the disease to see if they become sick.

Individuals exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 should quarantine for 14 days after their last exposure, even if they test negative before the end of quarantine.

People need to quarantine who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 (except people who have tested positive for COVID-19 do not need to quarantine or get tested again for up to three months as long as they do not develop symptoms again.)

What counts as close contact?

• You were within six feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
• You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
• You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
• You shared eating or drinking utensils
• They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you

How to be quarantined:

• Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19
• Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19
• If possible, stay away from others, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

As you can see, isolation is stricter but briefer than quarantine because the virus is contagious for a shorter time (10 days) than the possible incubation period (14 days) after just being exposed to a positive case. However, both are important in the effort to control the spread of the virus to those around you.

Current Press Release

July 24, 2020

As Testing and Contact Tracing become increased in the effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in our population, the following information is shared:

You may be receive communications from COVID-19 Contact Tracers if you may have been exposed to the pandemic virus.

However, if you do not recognize the caller ID, you might decide not to trust the call or text.

Therefore, the Noble County Health Department and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) want you to know this.

Text messages from Contact Tracers will come to you from 877-548-3444.

Phone calls from Contact Tracers will be from 833-670-0067 or may display as “IN Health COVID” if your carrier allows it.

The ISDH call center can be reached at 833-670-0067 between 8 AM and 8 PM with messages taken for a return call during off hours.

The call center voicemail is secure and password protected.

If you receive communications from these sources, please response as soon as possible to help decrease the spread of the COVID-19.

06/26/2020 Press Release

Re: YMCA Day Camp Potential COVID-19 Exposure

Today, the leaders of the Cole Center YMCA/Kendallville Park Department Day Camp were informed that one of their campers lives in a household with a parent who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The camper has demonstrated cold-like symptoms. But the camper had not been in attendance there since Tuesday June 23.

In an abundance of caution, they have suspended camp until all campers and camp staff have the opportunity to be tested for the COVID-19 virus because of this potential exposure.

Arrangements have been made with the Optum Testing Site at the Community Learning Center (Sherman Street Entrance) in Kendallville for free testing on Monday June 29. The site can handle six people every half hour from 8am to 8pm, except for a half hour to eat at Noon and at 4:30pm. An appointment will not be necessary, but early arrival is encouraged.

While awaiting test results the campers and staff should self-isolate, especially from the elderly and those with chronic health conditions.

There will be no camp next week.

If there are no additional positive results, camp will resume on Monday July 6.

Campers have remained isolated from the general YMCA membership. Therefore, the Y operations will continue to operate with no interruption.

This should remind us all that the pandemic coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continues to be present in our communities.

If you desire to have a COVID-19 test, you can be tested for free by registering online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting

But if you do not have internet access or are registering a minor, call 888-634-1116.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, you should be tested for the virus as soon as possible although it may not be free elsewhere.

If you have had close contact (closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes) with a positive confirmed COVID-19 case, you should be tested. Testing should take place no sooner than 5 days after exposure to a confirmed positive case, unless symptoms develop in the meantime.

Please note that the Noble County Health Clinic is open for appointments for immunizations and consultations by calling 260-636-2978.

We should all remember to wear a mask when unable to maintain a 6-foot distance from other people and constantly maintain good hand hygiene.

06/09/2020 Press Release

Noble County has experienced the first death of a person not associated with Long Term Care facilities as well as another death in one of the facilities where an outbreak of the virus was already known.

There has also been an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in a Day Care in Auburn that has resulted in a positive test for at least one Noble County resident under the age of 6 months.

The pandemic coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continues to be present in our communities.

If you are at least 65 or have a chronic health condition or you have spent more than 10 minutes with someone who has COVID-19, you can be tested for free by registering online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting

But if you do not have internet access or are registering a minor, call 888-634-1116.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, you should be tested for the virus as soon as possible although it may not be free elsewhere.

If you have had close contact (closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes) with a positive confirmed COVID-19 case, you should be tested. Testing should take place no sooner than 5 days after exposure to a confirmed positive case, unless symptoms develop in the meantime.

Even if your test is negative, the CDC recommends the following actions to keep high-risk people safe during the pandemic:

• Stay home if possible.
• Contact your doctors to see if there are ways to do routine visits over the phone or by video.
• Rely on family or friends to run errands when possible. Explore delivery services for groceries, supplies, and prescriptions.
• Make sure you have enough routine medications and household supplies.
• Consider taking virtual exercise classes, online education, and using other resources to stay healthy, engaged, and active during the pandemic.
• If you are feeling stressed or depressed, access stress and coping resources as part of maintaining overall health.

Please note that the Noble County Health Clinic is open for appointments for immunizations and consultations by calling 260-636-2978.

We should all remember to wear a mask when unable to maintain a 6-foot distance from other people.

06/05/2020 Press Release

Are you a COVID-19 high risk Hoosier? If so, you should be tested for the novel coronavirus!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made a list of people at high risk for severe illness with COVID-19. They include any one of the following:

• Ages 65 years and over
• Nursing home or long-term care facility residents
• Chronic lung disease
• Moderate to severe asthma
• Serious heart conditions
• Immunocompromised from cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplant, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune-weakening medications
• Severe obesity with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher
• Diabetes
• Chronic kidney disease who are having dialysis
• Liver disease

FREE TESTING is available by appointment at a site nearby. You can register online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting

But if you do not have internet access or are registering a minor, call 888-634-1116.

Even if your test is negative, the CDC recommends the following actions to keep high-risk people safe during the pandemic:

• Stay home if possible.
• Contact your doctors to see if there are ways to do routine visits over the phone or by video.
• Rely on family or friends to run errands when possible. Explore delivery services for groceries, supplies, and prescriptions.
• Make sure you have enough routine medications and household supplies.
• Consider taking virtual exercise classes, online education, and using other resources to stay healthy, engaged, and active during the pandemic.
• If you are feeling stressed or depressed, access stress and coping resources as part of maintaining overall health.

If you have spent more than 10 minutes with someone who has COVID-19, you can also be tested for free by registering online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting

But if you do not have internet access or are registering a minor, call 888-634-1116.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, you should be tested for the virus as soon as possible although it may not be free elsewhere.

We should all remember to wear a mask when unable to maintain a 6-foot distance from other people.

05/29/2020 Press Release

Although the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19 continues to circulate in the Noble County and more than 200 residents have tested positive and 21 deaths, the isolation restrictions have been easing under the direction of Governor Holcomb’s Executive Orders.

New positive cases are being reported daily over multiple parts of the county with exposures related to Long Term Care and other healthcare facilities, but also personal service and manufacturing businesses.

Efforts are being made to inform people with significant exposures (within 6 feet for 10 minutes or more) to positive COVID-19 victims that they should self-isolate and should be tested for the virus as well as watching for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. If you receive such a call, please cooperate!

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
· Fever or chills
· Cough
· Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· Fatigue
· Muscle or body aches
· Headache
· New loss of taste or smell
· Sore throat
· Congestion or runny nose
· Nausea or vomiting
· Diarrhea

Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:
· Trouble breathing
· Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
· New confusion
· Inability to wake or stay awake
· Bluish lips or face

Even if you do not have any of these, you may be eligible for testing for free at the Optum Testing Site at the Community Learning Center in Kendallville if you have at least one risk factor such as being 65 years old or more.

For an appointment, register online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting

If you do not have internet access or are registering a minor, call 888-634-1116.

We all should avoid closed spaces and crowds! But we should be encouraged to get outdoors while maintaining physical distancing of 6 feet or more.

Remember to wear a mask when unable to maintain a 6-foot distance between yourself and others.

Please remember that the virus does not care about politics!

COVID-19 is an equal opportunity disease.

May 14, 2020

1. As Indiana continues with Stage 2 of the Governor’s plan to reopen commerce and other activities in Indiana, the Noble County Emergency Management Agency and the Noble County Health Department have received resources to supplement Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer for those who are unable to maintain 6 feet of social distance while pursuing their work, such as in hair or nail salons.

While First Responders and Healthcare Providers will be given priority, if any individual or business or service feels the need for assistance in obtaining and maintaining PPE or other supplies in order to comply with requirements, interim supplies as well as assistance in finding providers of needed supplies can be provided.

Please contact Terresa Griffiths at 260-636-2938 at the Noble County Emergency Management Agency.

1. The OptumServe COVID-19 testing site in Kendallville is up and running for people with symptoms of the novel coronavirus or with at least one risk factor, by appointment only.

Register for an appointment at https://lhi.care/covidtesting

If no internet access or for registering a minor, call (888) 634-1116

COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell.

Risk factors include being over the age of 65, part of a high-risk group due to underlying conditions (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, etc), or part of a high risk minority population.

April 29th, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

           ​

NOBLE HEALTH DEPARTMENT Press Release

Immunization Clinic:

In an effort to resume some of the important functions of the Noble County Health Department, beginning on Monday, May 4, 2020, appointments for childhood immunizations will become available with modifications to maintain the health and safety of patients and staff.

Immunization appointments will be available by appointment only with priority given to children under two, especially those who have had no immunizations.

Upon arrival at the Health Department, patients are to remain in their vehicle in the parking lot until called into the building for evaluation and immunizations. Only one accompanying adult will be allowed to come in with each child unless a second adult is needed for interpretation services.  No other family members or friends will be permitted to come into the building.  They must remain in their vehicle.

The clinic will be cleared of previous clients and will be wiped down prior to the arrival of the next patient.

Masks or other covering of the nose and mouth will be required of all clients and staff over the age of 2 years.

Food Truck Guidelines:

No more than two food trucks and/or tents at any locations at the same time. This will be based on the first two applications that are received for the event.

All food handlers must wear mask and gloves at all times.

Use disposable to-go boxes, utensils, single serve condiments and napkins.

Keep all condiments, napkins, silverware and coolers inside the food truck at all times.

Place cones or marking of pavement to keep customers 6 feet apart for social distancing.

Place hand sanitizer dispensers outside of trucks and/or tents.

Employers must pre-screen employees (take temperature and assess symptoms prior to starting work).

Disinfect and clean workspaces and equipment.  Clean high touch surfaces frequently. Surfaces that are touched by customers need to be disinfected after each customer.

Notice needs to be given to the Noble County Health Department 7 days in advance of the event.  

Noble County Health Department will inspect all (including non-profit) food trucks and tents.

COVID-19 Pandemic News:

The Noble County Health Department states that the majority of positive tests in Noble County for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 have occurred in two long term care facilities,Sacred Heart Home in Avilla and Lutheran Life Villages – Village at Kendallville.

Every one of the county’s 11 known COVID-19 related deaths have been residents of those two facilities.

People who are older than 60 with underlying health conditions are most at risk during this pandemic. Everyone should make every effort to protect these vulnerable people by not visiting long-term care facilities, but rather using other options, such as the use of mobile devices to continue virtual contact with loved ones through email or video-call applications.

No further information about the residents will be released due to privacy laws.

The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and is also present in the general population of our county outside the confines of long term care facilities. Therefore, it is important that we all wear a mask when out of our homes if social distancing of six feet cannot be maintained.

In addition, you can help to protect yourself by washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are sick and stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

Visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at https://coronavirus.IN.govfor more information, including frequently asked questions about COVID-19.

Terry Gaff,MD

Noble County Health Officer 

April 18, 2020

NOBLE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS
COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS AT A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY

The Noble County Health Department announced today that four deaths related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported at the Sacred Heart Home in Avilla, a long-term care facility in Noble County.

Dr. Terry Gaff, Noble County Health Officer, wishes to express the extreme sadness and sympathy we all have for the loss of these people in this pandemic. We know that this is especially heartbreaking for family and friends who must be kept away from loved ones in their final hours.

No further information about the patients will be released due to privacy laws.

The elderly and those with underlying health conditions are the most vulnerable to severe disease or death. Everyone should make every effort to protect vulnerable people using options, such as mobile devices to continue virtual contact with loved ones through email or video-call applications.

To prevent community spread, long-term care facilities will be following the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) guidelines:

• Identify a separate space that is used only for confirmed or presumed COVID-19 patients;
• Limit patient contact to only essential direct care providers;
• Establish a tracking system to monitor and manage infection control activities and residents and staff member who are symptomatic

Click here for a complete list of the ISDH guidelines for long-term care facilities.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a novel, or new, coronavirus that has not been previously identified. It is not the same as the type of coronavirus that causes the common cold.

We all need to remember to wear masks or other covering over our noses and mouths whenever we leave our homes. This may help to decrease the spread of the virus, which is clearly already present in our community.

The best ways to protect yourself are to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home when you’re sick, cover your cough or sneeze and clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Visit the Indiana State Department of Health’s COVID-19 website at https://coronavirus.IN.gov for more information, including frequently asked questions about COVID-19.