VOLUME 2 ISSUE 7
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AUGUST 13 - AUGUST 19, 2021
August 13
Marion reports record COVID-19 numbers By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Marion County, setting new all-time highs last week. The county reported 2,402 new cases for the seven days from July 30 through Aug. 5, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The number of cases was the most reported in the county since nearly 2,000 cases were reported during a week in January. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 245 patients admitted to local hospitals with COVID-19. That number was also a record and an increase of 30% over the previous week. Additionally, the positivity
rate for the county was 27%, again the highest on record since the start of the pandemic and higher than the state average of 18.9% for the past week. The local numbers prompted the CDC to list Marion County in the red for the level of community transmission. The majority of those hospitalized are unvaccinated, See COVID Update, page A3
Health care workers prepare COVID-19 tests in this June 2020 file photo. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]
Back on Track
Ivermectin COVID-19 use potentially dangerous By Matthew Cretul matthew@ocalagazette.com
the gym, doing cross-training with basketball and other things to get my mind off track and field.” Then, on Aug. 4, Zackery got the call from Team USA. A spot opened up – and he would fly across the world to join his team in less than a week. He immediately shifted back to track and field training and
As COVID-19 cases spike, interest in non-traditional but potentially dangerous treatments are also surging. One medication, ivermectin, has gained traction as a potential COVID-19 preventative and treatment. But health care professionals and the Food and Drug Administration warn the medication is not approved for COVID-19 use and comes in differnt preparations that can be dangerous and even deadly if not used as directed. Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug used for the treatment of certain conditions in humans as well as animals. In addition to being used to treat internal parasites, some topical forms are FDA-approved to treat head lice and skin conditions such as rosacea. In animals, it’s used to treat and prevent heartworms and some external parasites. But the drug can interact with other medications, like bloodthinners. You can also overdose on ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma and even death, according to the FDA. For one Ocala resident, however, the warnings did not stop him from trying the medication recently after he tested positive for COVID-19.
See Zackery, page A2
See Ivermectin, page A2
Marshall Zackery will compete in 100-meter and 200-meter dash at the Tokyo Paralympics. [Dave Miller]
Ocala Paralympian will compete in Tokyo By Lisa McGinnes Ocala Gazette
O
n Aug. 10, Ocala runner Marshall Zackery boarded a plane to Tokyo to join Team USA at the Paralympic Games. It’s a trip that just six weeks before seemed unlikely after the visually impaired sprinter
missed earning a spot on the team at the track and field trials in Minneapolis. “At that point, I thought my season was over,” Zackery said. “They told me, just train and run again next year. I didn’t give up, but what I did was decompressed myself from track and field. It was track and field for the last four years. I worked out, got back in
Schools open with mixed reactions to optional masks By James Blevins james@ocalagazette.com School started this week in Marion County, with much of the focus on the record-setting COVID-19 surge in the area. At Osceola Middle School, Michaela Wingster was concerned about the resurgence of the virus. She was unsure if she was ready to send her 13-year-old son, Kaden, off to class. “I’m definitely hesitant about it,” said Wingster through a blue
mask. “But I do have faith that the school is doing the right things. I taught [Kaden] the proper precautions. Washing his hands. He will be masked up. That is our thing. We choose to do so.” Jami Harrer, a mother of three, is putting her faith in the vaccine. “All of my kids have been vaccinated,” said Harrer. “So, I think I’d be a little bit more worried if I had elementary school kids and they weren’t vaccinated.”
Harrer’s youngest son Sebastian, 13, an eighth-grader, waited in a long line of students that snaked across Southeast Fifth Street. The students were waiting for the bell to sound. He was wearing a mask, but he was in the minority. Most students were maskless; their smiles were on full display as they navigated the crosswalks. Many walked and laughed, side by side, with their fellow schoolchildren. See Back To School, page A3
Cassidy Bostic, 6, who is starting first grade at Eighth Street Elementary School, gets walked to school by her mother, Elizabeth. [Bruce Ackerman/OG]
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Commentary............................ A4 State News................................ A6 City Council Elections........... A9 Bakery Anniversary............... B1 Creative’s Corner....................B2 Calendar................................... B5