By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti is looking at the new developments with COVID-19 in Reno County closely.
"It's heightened awareness, especially from the medical community, as well as myself at the Health Department," Baldetti said. "We're monitoring pretty closely. You've heard me for awhile talking about that 3% positive test rate ratio? We're closely approaching it. I think, when I last looked at it, we were at 2.97% of positive test rate and that's been climbing over the last few days."
That is still one number, not the be all, end all when it comes to tightening policy.
"It's certainly something to monitor in short order," Baldetti said. "If we keep seeing, kind of this increase day over day, I'll be having very specific conversations with the Board of County Commissioners who also serve as the Board of Health."
First, Baldetti wants to check in with the medical community to see if the case count is matching up to the number of people coming in sick.
"This week, I am having very specific conversations with the medical community," Baldetti said. "That includes the hospital and the likes of Hutch Clinic and Prairie Star, in terms of testing demand, what we're seeing, as well as hospital activity."
As of Monday afternoon, Hutchinson Regional had five people in the hospital, with seven tests outstanding.