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Monroe County health director warns of rising wastewater virus levels, offers free tests
Summary
Health Department Director Lori Kelly said wastewater surveillance shows increased levels of COVID-19, influenza, RSV and norovirus while hospital visits have not risen; the county is offering free combo flu/COVID tests and plans to resume vaccination services in mid‑March.
Lori Kelly, director of the Monroe County Health Department, told commissioners that recent wastewater surveillance shows rising concentrations of COVID-19 and other viruses even though emergency-department visits and hospital admissions have not increased. "According to data provided by wastewater scan for Monroe County, we are seeing high levels of COVID, flu, RSV, and norovirus," Kelly said.
Kelly said the health department now offers free combined flu and COVID tests and that the public can walk in Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for testing. She also said the department is transitioning vaccination services from IU Health Community Health and aims to begin providing those services in mid‑March.
The director gave a point of contact for vaccine appointments outside the county’s current transition window, saying the Morgan County health department has vaccines available and providing a phone number for appointments. The health department framed the steps as a move to restore direct county vaccination services while maintaining testing and monitoring through wastewater surveillance.
The commissioners did not take a separate vote on surveillance policy during the update.
