Area's coronavirus infection rates among highest in Ohio

Montgomery schools chiefs talk to governor about safety steps.

More than half of the state’s top 10 countieswith the highest rates of coronavirus cases reported in thelasttwoweeks arein theMiami Valley, includingButler, Montgomery and Miami, according to data shared Tuesday.

Also, two Montgomery County school superintendent s whose districts returned to in-person instruction within the last month talked withGov. MikeDeWine during his afternoon press conference about their experiences andadjustments made for safety, including using the outdoors to space kids out and reduce the risk of transmission.

Tuesday marked the fifirst time Miami County appeared in the top 10 for coronavirus case rates since the state started measuring the rate.

Mercer County was second in the statewith a rate of 223.5 cases per 100,000 people reported from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. and was followed by Butler and Shelby counties with 216.9 and 199.6 cases reported, respectively.

Montgomery, Darke and Miami counties rounded out the top 10 with rates of 155, 148.7 and 142.1 cases per 100,000 people during that two-week time frame. DarkeCounty has fewer than 100,000 residents and the actual case count for thetwoweek time frame is 76 cases.

Superintendents fromtwo Montgomery County school districts joined DeWine’s coronavirus press briefifing Tuesday.

Brookville Local Schools Superintendent Timothy Hopkins and Vandalia-Butler City Schools Superintendent Robert O’Leary both said most of their students returnedto in-personclasses. Of the parents and guardians polled, about 90% at Brookville and84% atVandalia-Butler supported in- person learning.

“We bought into information from the American Academy of Pediatrics that the best place for students to be if possible is in school, inperson, and each community had tomake their own decision based onwhat was best for their community,” Hopkins said.

Both districts are also using outdoor spaces that give students more room for social distancing. There’s also a lower risk of coronavirus transmission when outside compared to inside.

“We’ve got a beautiful fall intheMiami Valleyandevery other day students come to school knowing they are going to eat outside,” Hopkins said.

Brookville, which has about 1,500students, rented about60picnic tables sothat students couldeat lunchoutside everyother day. Bymoving some students outside, more space is available for thosewho are eating inside the cafeteria.

Hopkins also said that the district gave students at the start of the yearmagnets that include aCOVID-19 checklist of the things students need to bring to school every day.

At Vandalia-Butler, the district rented tents to add 1,800 square feet of space for the elementary and middle school students. O’Leary explained that the high school has more space that allows the district to be flflexible while trying to spread out.

DeWine also announced a newinitiative aimed at helping Ohioans get backtowork.

Ohio to Work will bring togetheremployers, nonprofits, educators and training providers to coordinate and work with residents to get them the training and support they need to fifind work.

The program is starting to launch in the Cleveland area and already includes 30 employers and will expand to other areas in the state.

“We knowit can be a challenge to fifind a job right now, but we also know employers are hiring in industries like healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing,” DeWine said.