With 32 identified cases of COVID-19 and 28 recoveries as of Wednesday morning, Warren County has thus far been spared from a major outbreak of the pandemic virus. However, health officials are asking residents to continue preventative steps, and county leaders are keeping a wary eye on the future.

Although the case count for Warren County is low, a few new cases are detected every week. The Warren County Health Department said fewer than 2 percent of county residents have been tested for COVID-19.

“We are seeing new cases and need to remain engaged in the preventive measures that slow the spread,” the health department said on its Facebook page. “Continue social distancing, wearing face coverings, sanitizing surfaces and washing hands.”

The health department is also appealing to residents to stay home and seek testing if they are sick. Some people have been discounting signs of illness as allergies, a sinus infection or other virus, the health department said.

“As we conduct our contact tracing of positive cases, we find that at times people are not staying home while having symptoms, and they are not aware they have COVID-19 until days later when tested, which further exposes others in the community,” the health department explained on Facebook.

Possible symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, headache, runny nose, muscle aches, diarrhea, abdominal pain, new loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.

Testing for COVID-19 is now easier to access, the health department told The Record, including new testing being done by Compass Health.

“You are no longer required to have a fever and respiratory symptom to get testing. Testing criteria is more liberal, and if you are a contact to a positive case you can get tested with no symptoms,” the health department said. “Individuals should consider getting tested if they are symptomatic or have come in contact with a known or suspected (someone waiting on test results) COVID-19 case.”

Response funding

Members of the Warren County Commission said an advisory committee has begun reviewing funding requests for $4.1 million in federal COVID-19 response funds. Local government, health and first responder agencies have submitted COVID-related expense reports from March and April to seek reimbursement for supplies to prevent the spread of the disease.

Presiding Commissioner Joe Gildehaus said it will take some time to announce the initial reimbursements.

“It will be done very transparently through the county commission (and) our advisory team,” Gildehaus said. “We want to make sure the money is used wisely, and we can be proud of where the money goes for the entirety of Warren County.”

Currently none of the county’s federal funding, provided through the federal CARES Act, has been spent, Gildehaus said. The county has spent over $40,000 of its own funds on masks and other supplies for first responders, which will go through the same review process for reimbursement, Gildehaus added.

The county plans to release its CARES funding in phases, based on the highest priority needs to prevent and/or respond to a future COVID-19 outbreak.

“We want to make sure we as Warren County work together as a team, and do the best not only for the protection of today and tomorrow, but for the future, that we’re prepared,” Gildehaus said.

“I’m proud of all the entities coming together and working together,” he added.