Flu hospitalizations of Tuscarawas County residents on the rise
DOVER (WJER) (Jan. 6, 2026) — Health officials are urging residents to take precautions as cold and flu season intensifies.
Jennifer Demuth, spokeswoman for the Tuscarawas County Health Department, said an Ohio Department of Health report showed 17 county residents were hospitalized with the flu during the final full week of 2025 and 21 were hospitalized over the course of the month. She said the latest numbers listed another 17 hospitalizations between Jan. 1 and Monday.
Health officials expect cases to continue rising following holiday gatherings.
Demuth encouraged residents to follow preventive steps such as practicing good hygiene and improving indoor air quality to reduce the spread of illness. She added that it is not too late to receive flu and COVID‑19 vaccinations at the health department and emphasized staying home when sick.
According to Demuth, Ohio’s wastewater report from last week showed high levels of COVID‑19, flu and RSV in samples collected from the Dover Wastewater Treatment Plant on Dec. 28. City officials have stressed that the wastewater findings do not affect the city’s drinking water supply.