Clinton County now has five confirmed cases of coronavirus, county officials confirmed Wednesday, with their ages ranging from 32 to 62.

That is up from the total of three which had stood for several days.

One of the five patients is hospitalized.

“Those [five local] cases have all had exposures traced back either out of county, or even out of state,” Clinton County Health Commissioner Pamela Walker-Bauer said Wednesday afternoon.

Two of those cases are in the medical field.

“While it is our policy not to disclose identifying information for patients, these individuals are recovering at home. Clinton County Health District has assessed exposure risk to patients as minimal; these medical providers recognized symptoms early and self-quarantined to minimize risk to others,” the CCHD stated Wednesday. “Clinton County Health District continues to work closely with the Ohio Department of Health to monitor this situation, and we continue to vigorously follow infection control protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Across the state, many frontline workers are being infected due to their contact with those who have the virus. Frontline medical personnel get priority for testing to minimize the risk to others. This is why more frontline medical personnel test positive. This is a prime example why the medical field is in desperate need of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and why it is being used sparingly.”

Those wishing to donate PPE equipment can drop off supplies to the Clinton County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) office (located inside the Sheriff’s Office) or they can drop off supplies to the Clinton County Health District.

“We strongly encourage people to follow (ODH Director) Dr. Acton’s recommendations to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The health and safety of our community is our top priority.”