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COVID-19: The Latest

Ohio Department of Health visiting Jefferson County homes for COVID-19 prevalence study

STEUBENVILLE — Ohio Department of Health personnel will be in Toronto until July 29, interviewing a sampling of residents throughout the region for a COVID-19 prevalence study. ODH, in partnership with Ohio State University, plans to survey about 1,200 adults across the state for current and past COVID-19 infection. Households have been chosen at random, and were notified by postcard and letter when they can expect a trained project team to visit their home. During the in-person visit, one adult in the household is randomly selected for participation. Since it’s purely voluntary, ...

U.K. coronavirus vaccine prompts immune response in early testing

LONDON (AP) — Scientists at Oxford University say their experimental coronavirus vaccine has been shown in an early trial to prompt a protective immune response in hundreds of people who got the shot. British researchers first began testing the vaccine in April in about 1,000 people, half of whom got the experimental vaccine. Such early trials are designed to evaluate safety and see what kind of immune response was provoked, but can’t tell if the vaccine truly protects. In research published Monday in the journal Lancet, scientists said that they found their experimental ...

July 21: Events canceled/postponed due to coronavirus

Due to the precautions being taken surrounding the coronavirus, the following changes have been made regarding events and meetings in the local area: ¯ The planned in-person graduation ceremony for Brooke High School’s Class of 2020 set for Thursday has been canceled. ¯ The 2020 Ohio River Sweep has been postponed to 2021, and the date will be determined. ¯ The annual Teddy Bear Tea held in July at Mary H. Weir Public Library has been canceled. It will resume in July 2021. ¯ Mingo Community Days, normally held each July, has been canceled. ¯ The 203rd annual on-site Hollow ...

Indian Creek discusses return scenarios, eyes Aug. 19 start date

MINGO JUNCTION — The Indian Creek Board of Education approved a preliminary plan to re-open its buildings this fall with potential scenarios based on the course of COVID-19 spread in the community. Officials met Thursday at Indian Creek Middle School and approved a schematic for the ...

States look to avoid shutting back down

As states began the process of reopening during the last six weeks, some areas across the country saw an uptick in positive COVID-19 cases. As a result, some reopening plans have been stalled or, in some cases, walked back. For those still able to move forward with their reopening procedures, however, the attention is now turning toward how they can remain reopened and avoid another shutdown. To achieve as much, most local health officials agree that keeping gatherings small, wearing masks and maintaining 6 feet of social distance are the keys to ensuring a safe path forward. “If ...

Virus concerns sink 2020 Ohio River Sweep

STEUBENVILLE — Due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Ohio River Sweep has been postponed to 2021, with a date to be determined. The news came Friday from Lisa Cochran, spokesperson for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission. “The concerns associated with the coronavirus at any social event were simply not worth the risk at this time,” Cochran stated in a release. “The safety of the coordinators and volunteers is the first priority of the program.” E. Louise Holliday, the Jefferson County environmental educator with the J.B. Green Team, said she ...