WILMINGTON — As of Friday afternoon, Clinton County is number one in Ohio with its rate of COVID cases, with 85.8 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week time frame. The statewide average rate is 19.2 cases per 100,000.

On Friday only four of Ohio’s 88 counties had case rates above 50 per 100K residents, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Those are Clinton at 85.8 cases; Williams County at 81.8 cases; Paulding County at 64.3 cases; and Monroe County at 58.6 cases.

On Friday morning Clinton County Health Commissioner Pam Bauer said they have seen an uptick in local cases over the past couple of weeks.

“We have been at about 50-55 active cases this week,” she reported. Clinton County’s total population is listed at 41,968 on the ODH chart.

“There is no real pattern to these cases other than them being in those who have not been vaccinated. With our county’s vaccination rate only slightly above 37 percent, this increase is not unexpected,” said the health commissioner.

“We have had increased opportunities for infection to spread by adding in the gatherings of graduation parties and Father’s Day following the lifting of Ohio’s public health orders on June 2,” she added.

“We know that the COVID vaccine is an excellent tool to help reduce spread and to help us learn to live with this virus. We continue to strongly encourage vaccinations for all of those eligible which will help reduce the spread of more contagious variants or the development of new variants,” Bauer stated in an email.

“We stand ready for our unvaccinated community members when they, in turn, are ready to be vaccinated!” she wrote.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.