On Wednesday afternoon, Fayette County Public Health (FCPH) reported the eighth COVID-19 related death in the county — the second death in two days.

The patient was a female in her 70s and there will be no additional information released, according to FCPH. The death reported Tuesday was also a woman in her 70s.

“Please respect the family’s privacy as they mourn the loss of their loved one,” read a statement from FCPH.

FCPH also reported 16 new COVID-19 cases (13 confirmed, three probable) on Wednesday with two new hospitalizations.

“We are still seeing an increase in cases among friends and family members who are gathering,” read an FCPH statement. “It is easy to feel comfortable and let our guard down around people we know — but please follow the same precautions with friends and extended family as you would in a public setting.”

Fayette County recently moved to a level three (red) emergency in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System (OPHAS) due to the number of increased positive cases. Although the county was first in the state for high occurrence of new cases late last week, it was reported as the second highest on Tuesday.

As of Wednesday, there were 113 active COVID-19 cases in Fayette County.

Ohio shattered its previous record for single-day increase in new coronavirus cases, reporting 2,039 new virus cases on Wednesday. The previous single-day total in Ohio was 1,840, which was reported on Oct. 9.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms may be mild or severe and may appear 2-14 days following exposure to the virus.

A COVID-19 self checker can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov/.

Reach Ryan Carter at 740-313-0352.