Joint Unified Command Provides COVID Update

MUSKINGUM COUNTY, Ohio-The Muskingum County Joint Unified Command held its monthly COVID update today at the county’s emergency management agency. 

The speakers of the event were doctors Jack Butterfield and Doug Baker. Baker, superintendent of Zanesville City Schools, says the students are adjusting well to the new year. 

“Trying to be proactive as possible has been a big help. I think all the education we’ve done on the front end as well, again trying to get the message out that if you’re not feeling well, not to come to school, whether it’s as a student or as a staff member. I think we’ve alleviated some of these fears with some of these protocols that we’ve put in place.”

Muskingum County has been on the lower end of cases, but Butterfield is worried about a new outbreak happening in the coming months. 

“We have a lot of risks coming at this time of year. The first biggest risk is schools being back in session, which is driving a lot of kids into the same buildings, the same classrooms and putting them in a much closer proximity than when this began last March when schools were closed. So the likelihood of them being in close contact with each other has increased.”

Butterfield says that getting a flu shot will be very vital this coming fall and winter.