HPH Shifting All Available Resources To Coronavirus Response

Hancock Public Health has initiated Incident Command Structure as it shifts all of its community resources to focus on the response to the coronavirus.

The number of confirmed cases in Ohio as of Wednesday was 88 – in 19 counties – the closest to Hancock County being one case in Lucas County.

Details are in the following news release.

Hancock Public Health (HPH) has been in Incident Command Structure (ICS) for the past week in order to be able to respond effectively to the COVID-19 virus as it impacts our community.

This means that we are in heightened communication with our local, state and national partners, and we are closely monitoring syndromic surveillance data through our Office of Epidemiology along with our partners including Blanchard Valley Health System. We will be keeping the community up-to-date through our Joint Information Center (JIC) which includes city and county government leadership, Blanchard Valley Health System and Hancock Public Health.

Hancock County Health Commissioner Karim Baroudi explains “In anticipation of the known community spread of COVID-19 in Ohio coming to Hancock County, we have enacted our ICS which allows us to shift all of our available community resources to focus on the COVID-19 response. It is important that the Hancock County community understands that we are prepared and we will continue to act in concert with our partners in a way that maximizes community safety and minimizes the impact on the capacity of our healthcare system so that we are able to treat all those in need. The measures that have been enacted by our governor will help to minimize the impact on our community and I want to stress to everyone not just the importance of complying with the orders, but to help your neighbors understand the importance of these measures to their own safety and that of their neighbors and loved ones.”

There is a lot of misinformation shared during global events and public health threats, especially on social media. Only trust verified information sources, such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), ODH (Ohio Department of Health), the governors office, your local health department, your local hospital and verified media. If you have questions about COVID-19, call 1.833.4ASKODH (1.833.427.5634) or visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

A Hancock County Resource Call Center has been established through the collaborative JIC for local coronavirus information and will be available Monday to Friday from 9 am to 8 pm starting Wednesday, March 18. Please call the call center at 419.425.9999 for local coronavirus information.