Tuscarawas County’s COVID-19 death rate is higher than the state’s, country’s, world’s

DOVER (WJER) (Jan. 10, 2021) – Tuscarawas County has a higher COVID-19 death rate than the state, country and world, according to the county health department. Spokesperson Jennifer Demuth says the Ohio Department of Health reported 28 virus-related deaths among Tuscarawas County residents in an eight-day period from Dec. 30 through Jan. 7, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 414.

“Tuscarawas County’s death rate for COVID-19 is higher than the death rate for the entire state of Ohio,” Demuth said. “It’s higher than the death rate for the nation, and it’s higher than the death rate for the world for COVID-19, which is very sad.”

The Health Department reports the county’s death rate at 2.4 percent, compared to 1.4 percent for Ohio and the United States, and 1.8 percent for the world.

Demuth says another concern is the age of those dying.

“We are seeing a higher number of deaths in younger adults in their twenties through fifties due to COVID-19-related reasons here in Tuscarawas County,” she said.

She says the county’s low vaccination rate – at 42 percent – is a contributing factor.

“Low vaccination rates do impact our number of cases and deaths locally but other things that impact that are those other safety steps that we can take to help prevent the spread such as choosing to wear a mask when you are out in public, remembering to social distance, wash hands, avoid crowds whenever possible,” she said.

The county also set a single-day record for new COVID-19 cases with 151 Jan. 3. Demuth says case numbers are the highest they’ve been in the county since December of 2020.

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