Hancock Area Transportation Services and Wyandot Ride Service are requiring all riders to wear a face mask as of Tuesday.
They say paper or cloth masks are okay.
Anyone with a question about the requirement may call them at 419-423-7261.
Again, the change goes into effect on Tuesday, April 14th.
Calvary Baptist Church in Findlay, like other churches, was looking for a way to still have an Easter Sunday service but also keep people safe from the coronavirus.
Pastor Gordon Dickson said the idea of a drive-in service really took off after someone mentioned it a while back.
“So our guys just jumped on the idea – one guy said I’ll get an FM transmitter – everyone worked together and we pulled it off and had a blast.”
So on Sunday people pulled into the parking lot and were able to hear the service on their car radio as it was delivered from a platform.
The pastor said the turnout was great and they had even more people listening online.
“The most unusual Easter Sunday anyone can remember, but wow what a great time we had.”
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Findlay was among other churches that conducted a drive-in Easter Sunday service.
Their service was held at Emory Adams Park.
First Lutheran Church in Findlay held a ringing of the Easter Chimes that some observed from the parking lot.
Hancock County health officials had no new cases of COVID-19 to report on Sunday, after reporting two new cases on Saturday.
As of Sunday, Hancock County had 18 confirmed cases of the virus and one death from it.
Hancock Public Health said seven of the patients are hospitalized.
Statewide there were 6,518 confirmed cases as of Sunday and 248 deaths.
People experiencing coronavirus symptoms should call the COVID-19 Triage & Testing Center at Blanchard Valley Hospital at 419-423-7890, or the center at Bluffton Hospital at 419-369-2399.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath, fever of 100.4 degrees or greater and fatigue.
Findlay and Hancock County are included in a Wind Advisory from the National Weather Service.
In fact, all of northwest Ohio is included in the advisory, which goes from 6am to 8pm Monday.
Forecasters say southwest winds of 30 miles per hour are expected with gusts up to 50 miles per hour.
Objects that are not secured will be blown around and a few tree limbs could come down, possibly resulting in power outages.
You should use extra caution when driving, especially if you drive a high profile vehicle.
As for the rest of the weather forecast for Monday, it looks like it’ll be cloudy with morning showers and a temperature falling to 43 by 2pm.
It was a neat sight in Findlay on Saturday night when homeowners along South Main Street put out luminaries to thank healthcare workers and first responders for their heroic work during the pandemic.
The luminaries stretched all the way from the fire station to Blanchard Valley Hospital.
A procession of fire trucks and ambulances then drove by as people waved and said thank you.
Hancock County health officials reported two new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday.
That puts the number of confirmed cases in the county at 18, and one person has died from the virus.
Hancock Public Health said seven of the patients are hospitalized.
Statewide there were 6,187 confirmed cases as of Saturday and 242 deaths.
Hancock Public Health and the Ohio Department of Health are asking people returning to the Buckeye State to self-quarantine to lessen the spread of the virus.
People experiencing coronavirus symptoms should call the COVID-19 Triage & Testing Center at Blanchard Valley Hospital at 419-423-7890, or the center at Bluffton Hospital at 419-369-2399.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath, fever of 100.4 degrees or greater and fatigue.
Truckers have been finding it difficult to get a hot meal while on the road because of so many restaurants being closed because of the pandemic.
To help with that problem, the Ohio Department of Transportation is allowing food trucks to operate on a temporary basis at the state’s 86 rest areas.
The full news release from ODOT is below.
To address one of the biggest challenges truck drivers face, access to a hot meal, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is temporarily opening the state’s 86 rest areas to food trucks.
“Truck drivers are the lifeblood of the economy and their jobs have never been more critical than now,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “I’ve heard from many in the trucking industry that finding a place to eat while they’re on the road has been tough, but we’re here to help.”
Federal regulations prohibit commercial activity at rest areas, with limited exceptions. Last week, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced they would temporarily suspend enforcement of those regulations.
“Truck drivers are delivering food and goods essential to our homes and medical supplies to healthcare providers. They should be able to have easy access to a hot meal,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks. “We thank FHWA for recognizing these are unique times.”
Mobile food vendors must download a permit from the ODOT website and display it at all times while operating. They must also abide by state and local food service regulations as well as social distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure the safety and health of staff and customers. The Ohio State Highway Patrol will regularly monitor rest areas to enforce compliance with all Ohio laws and regulations by the commercial food truck vendors who elect to set up operations.
“Vending at Ohio’s rest areas is provided by sightless and visually impaired merchants. They rely on the sale of beverages and snacks for their income. In order to ensure they are not directly competing with these vendors, mobile food trucks will not be permitted to sell prepackaged snacks or any drinks other than coffee,” Marchbanks said.
It is important to note that this temporary permission for food truck vendors to set up in ODOT-administered rest areas is intended to help provide options for truck drivers, not to replace the goods and services offered by retail operations along Ohio’s interstates.
Hancock County health officials had no new cases of the coronavirus to report on Friday.
Hancock Public Health said the numbers remained at 16 residents with a confirmed case and one death.
The one death was reported on Thursday, an 81-year-old with underlying medical conditions.
Statewide there were 5,836 confirmed cases as of Friday and 227 deaths.
Hancock Public Health says, as stated by Governor Mike DeWine in his coronavirus update on Friday, Ohio has not yet received the Rapid Antibody test and Hancock Public Health will notify citizens when the test becomes available in.
People experiencing coronavirus symptoms should call the COVID-19 Triage & Testing Center at Blanchard Valley Hospital at 419-423-7890, or the center at Bluffton Hospital at 419-369-2399.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, shortness of breath, fever of 100.4 degrees or greater and fatigue.
More than 200,000 people filed for unemployment in Ohio last week.
That’s the second straight week with claims of that volume.
The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services says in the past three weeks nearly 700,000 people have filed for unemployment.
The state has paid out more than $124 million in unemployment compensation in the past three weeks.
Officials say in 2019 a total of 346,000 jobless claims were filed over the 12-month period.
The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services says filing online is still the best way to go, even with the longer wait times.
A group of Hancock County organizations are collaborating for a community supply drive in the battle against the coronavirus.
Details are in the following news release from the United Way of Hancock County.
In an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Hancock County, a partnership of community organizations are inviting the public to participate in a community-wide mask and supply donation drive through April 30. Items requested include masks, cloth masks, gloves, cleaning supplies, thermometers, towels and twin-sized bed linens.
“There have been several requests for the PPE type masks for first responders, but this request is for masks that can be worn in congregated areas such as shelters to help prevent the spread of the virus to staff or other shelter residents,” said Leigh Zydonik, executive director for the Center of Civic Engagement. “We are also prepping for the possibility of an isolation shelter and will need cleaning supplies, gloves, bed linens, towels and thermometers to ensure the community is prepared to handle whatever may come our way.”
Representatives from the Center of Civic Engagement, United Way of Hancock County, Blanchard Valley Health Foundation, Family Resource Center, Family and Children First Council and the ADAMHS Board met virtually to establish need and drop off points for donated items.
“We’re aware that many people have been making cloth masks to the point that it’s been difficult to find the materials to make them,” said Heather Heilman, community impact director for UWHC. “We’re hoping some of them may have made extra and would be willing to donate.”
In addition to the donation drive, University of Findlay pharmacy students are also being requested to make hand sanitizer as part of the drive effort.
“The students have already been donating hand sanitizer to the health system, community pharmacies and first responders,” said Marie Swaisgood, chief development officer for the Blanchard Valley Health Foundation. “They are a great partner to get this important resource to the places it is needed most.”
Donations will be collected starting immediately until April 30 at these sites:
· Collection box in the front vestibule at United Way of Hancock County, 245 Stanford Pkwy, Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm;
· Drive-up collection at BVHS Foundation House, 223 W. Wallace St., Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 9-11am;
· Collection box in the front vestibule at ADAMHS Board, 438 Carnahan Ave., Monday-Friday 9am-3pm.
“I know our community will step up in this time of need,” said Ginny Williams, chief clinical officer of the Family Resource Center.
“They always do – and we thank them in advance!”