George Schmitt speaks with Dr. Doug Manion and Milford Mayor Sean Strub about COVID updates in Milford

This week Dr. Cruse discusses the dramatic surge in cases locally to one of the highest case counts of the entire pandemic. He also reports that 25% of all deaths in Wayne in Pike County during the entire pandemic have occurred in the past two months. He discusses Thanksgiving and travel safety. He also discusses lifting the mask mandates in schools, now that the decision is returning to local school boards. He feels that with vaccines now approved in children down to age 5 that it is much more achievable. However with 32% of our cases in children under 18, the overall spike in cases here and the high death toll currently that this is not yet the time to end school masking.

George Schmitt speaks with Dr. Doug Manion and Milford Mayor Sean Strub about COVID updates in Milford

This week Dr. Cruse reports that cases are increasing here, in Pennsylvania, and nationwide. He discusses a major spike that is now occurring in Europe and may predict what will happen here as the weather turns colder. He reviews data on vaccination versus natural infection versus both. He also discusses the upcoming change in state wide mask mandate requirements. He strongly recommend school districts take a data driven approach, where they decide on mask mandates based upon local community transmission and not on public opinion. He encourages then following the data and being willing to change strategies based upon community and school transmission. This decision of school boards affects the entire community

George Schmitt speaks with Dr. Doug Manion about COVID updates in Milford

This week Dr. Cruse tells us that the Covid numbers here are still bad. Last week saw probably the highest death toll here of the entire pandemic, 20% of all of the deaths in Wayne and Pike County during the entire pandemic have happened in the past six weeks. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for 5 to 11 year olds and Wayne Memorial community health centers started vaccinating them this past weekend. He also discusses the vaccine mandate rules for companies with over 100 employees and for healthcare workers. Get your vaccine.

George Schmitt speaks with Dr. Doug Manion

This week Dr. Cruse reports that cases are down a little here but at 224 cases per 100,000 people per week, they are 10 times higher than in June. He discusses safety and effectiveness of masking in school children and some of the studies on that. He reports that they are analyzing the numbers in schools with strict masking policy versus looser masking policy and if that affects the number of cases in children. He hopes to have real data on that soon so that we can make good informed decisions based on it. He also discusses the recommendation from the FDA advisory committee that the vaccine be approved in 5 to 11 year olds. It is not yet available but hopefully will be within a week.

Update on getting ready for Halloween in Milford

This week Dr. Cruse tells us that numbers are still high here. The big news is the hospital is overwhelmed, with the hospital full, the ER full and diverting patients. The medical workers here are overworked and burn out. Please get your vaccine, wear your mask, and do all the things we know prevents Covid transmission. He also discusses that Johnson and Johnson and Moderna boosters were approved and how to get yours.