Medina County has dropped a level in Ohio’s Public Health Advisory System on the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, from Level 3 (red) to Level 2 (orange).
The Level 2 designation means there is increased spread of COVID-19 throughout the community. The Medina County Health Department stressed the move does not indicate a decrease in prevalence of COVID-19 in the county, and community spread and exposure of the virus are still of critical concern.
"The move from red to orange in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System is a step in the right direction for Medina County, but we still have a long way to go," said Medina County Health Commissioner Krista Wasowski. "Everyone is aware of the need to be cautious when they are ill, but we are finding that many cases are now coming from spread during the infectious period before an individual starts showing symptoms."
Summit, Portage, Wayne and Stark counties remained at Level 2 (orange) on the updated county map released Thursday. The map is updated each Thursday.
Ohio currently has 12 Level 3 (red) counties: Brown, Clermont and Muskingum, which are newly red since last week;, and Cuyahoga, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Lucas, Marion, Mercer and Montgomery, which are continuing at red.
Along with Medina County, Allen County also dropped from red to orange this week.
Nine counties dropped from Level 2 (orange) to Level 1 (yellow): Adams, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Knox, Lake, Paulding, Pike and Williams.
The Medina County Health Department acknowledged the efforts county residents have made to limit exposure to COVID-19 and encouraged residents to continue to follow guidelines, including wearing a mask, staying home if you’re sick or if someone in your household is sick, maintaining social distancing and washing hands frequently.
People should also stay home if they’re waiting for a doctor's visit, COVID-19 test or a test result to decrease the chance of exposing others. The time of viral exposure to symptom onset is typically four to six days. During the time period before symptoms arise, an infected person could be contagious.
"No one is intentionally getting one another ill, but the nature of how COVID-19 spreads is why avoiding certain situations and alerting public health officials of anyone you may have come into contact with during an infectious period is so important," Wasowski said. "Especially with schools and sports starting back up, we are asking all residents to be mindful of when and how they are interacting in the public so we can safely return to normal activities."
The Link LonkAugust 14, 2020 at 04:00AM
https://www.beaconjournal.com/news/20200813/coronavirus-medina-county-drops-from-red-to-orange
Coronavirus: Medina County drops from red to orange - Akron Beacon Journal
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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