The three individuals in the county who died from COVID-19 over the past several days were residents of St. Catherine’s Manor of Washington Court House, according to Fayette County Public Health (FCPH) and St. Catherine’s.

As of Tuesday, 11 St. Catherine’s residents and three employees had tested positive for COVID-19. All are laboratory-confirmed cases.

The three individuals who died, two females and one male, were all in their 70s.

FCPH reported the first death on Friday and two additional deaths on Tuesday.

A statement from St. Catherine’s Manor reads: “Our hearts are heavy. On behalf of everyone at St. Catherine’s Manor of Washington Court House, we send our condolences to these families and we grieve with them. We want to assure those we serve and their loved ones, that our organization has well established infection control protocols, the proper personal protective equipment on hand, and are working closely with Fayette County Public Health, Fayette County Memorial Hospital, the local Emergency Management Agency, and our Medical Director to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents and staff.

“We are very proud of our team and their quick action to implement the COVID-19 isolation protocols and procedures to further protect our residents and for their selflessness during this difficult time. From the HCF Family to yours, we sincerely appreciate the cooperation and understanding as we fight through this battle.”

FCPH reported Tuesday that it is still in the process of gathering information and completing the investigation.

Since last Thursday, 29 new cases have been reported in Fayette County. As of Tuesday, there were currently 34 active cases in Fayette County and two individuals hospitalized.

FCPH is working with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to conduct contact tracing to determine if any of the close contacts of these individuals are sick. All of these close contacts are asked to quarantine themselves for 14 days and monitor themselves for symptoms of fever, cough, or shortness of breath. FCPH is highly committed to maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality. If you are not contacted, you did not have close extended contact with the cases.

Fayette County is currently at the orange/Level 2, per the Ohio COVID-19 risk level guidelines, which indicates there is increased exposure and spread.

FCPH is asking that community members follow current health orders for Level 2:

-Conduct a daily health/symptom self-evaluation and stay at home if symptomatic.

-Maintain social distancing of at least six feet from non-household members

-Wear face coverings in public, especially when social distancing is difficult to maintain.

-Increase caution when interacting with others not practicing social distancing or wearing face covers

-Avoid traveling to high-risk areas.

-Follow good hygiene standards, including:

-Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds

-Use hand sanitizer frequently

-Avoid touching your face

-Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g., into a tissue, or elbow)

-Symptom self-evaluation monitoring

-Avoid contact with anyone who is considered high risk

-High-risk individuals should take extra care to follow precautions

-Decrease in-person interactions outside household

-Seek medical care as needed, but limit or avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities to see others as much as possible.

Reach Ryan Carter at 740-313-0352.