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Sohn: Count sick people, not dollars, to lift COVID-19 restrictions in Hamilton County

Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Mayor Jim Coppinger replaces his mask after speaking during a press conference at the Hamilton County Health Department in July. The mayor announced some COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in the county next week.
Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Mayor Jim Coppinger replaces his mask after speaking during a press conference at the Hamilton County Health Department in July. The mayor announced some COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in the county next week. Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Mayor Jim Coppinger replaces his mask after speaking during a press conference at the Hamilton County Health Department in July. The mayor announced some COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted in the county next week.

By Pam Sohn 5 min read

If you’re like us, you feel as though you have a bad case of COVID-19 information and misinformation whiplash.

Especially now. Especially in Hamilton County where case numbers have been going up, yet suddenly our county mayor and health department say they are planning to lift business and gathering restrictions as of Oct. 8 because “we’re going in the right direction,” according to County Mayor Jim Coppinger.

What we’re seeing from the data seems to show a disconnect with “right direction.” Frankly, it is increasingly hard to know who and what to believe.

Consider:

As of Oct. 1, Hamilton County ranked 11th in our tri-state region counties for the highest average new cases a day per 10,000 people. But in the week before, our ranking was 16th. We’re seem to be going up with a bullet on a list we shouldn’t want to be climbing.