Water pipes burst, force closure of Sandusky County Public Health office
FREMONT — Sandusky County Public Health just can't catch a break.
In the midst of an ongoing surge in COVID-19 numbers, the health department announced Monday it will be closed for the rest of the week after pipes burst at the department's Countryside Drive office Saturday and caused significant flooding and water damage.
Bethany Brown, the county's public health commissioner, said officials were alerted to the fiasco by an employee in an adjacent office building.
Brown said health department staff walked into their office and found "waterfalls," with water running down the walls.
"There was a good couple of inches in some areas," Brown said Monday.
The department's clinic areas, including those related to COVID-19, immunizations, family planning and WIC, are underwater, Brown said.
The county called in a company to assess damage and try to dry everything out.
Sandusky County Public Health's main office closure comes as the county is still seeing a high number of new COVID-19 cases.
The county has seen an average of more than 160 new cases a day over the last week.
Sandusky County is on target to top its December numbers if new COVID cases stay around the same level for the rest of the month.
Brown said if the health department has to, it will try to set up makeshift clinics in its conference room or move temporarily to another county office building.
"I really don't want to move," Brown said.
Residents are encouraged to call the health department's main number at 419-334-6377 in the event of a public health emergency.
Brown said health department staff will check voicemails and get calls routed to them from a dispatcher.
She said the department should know more toward the end of the week as to whether it can reopen its main office next Monday.
dacarson@gannett.com
419-334-1046
Twitter: @DanielCarson7
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Water pipes burst, forcing closure of Sandusky County health department
