COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTAP) - With a majority of Ohio counties now red on the state’s COVID-19 advisory map, the state Department of Health on Thursday issued new protocols for people to follow over the next 21 days in an effort to curb the spread of the virus as the Christmas holiday approaches.
Gov. Mike DeWine said the next three weeks will be a very critical time for the state, and he asked medical experts from across the state to come up with the following Stay Safe Ohio protocols.
- Stay home whenever possible.
- Wear a mask around people who don’t live with you
- Keep your distance and keep all interactions short.
- Wash your hands
- Work from home whenever possible
- Use drive-thrus and pickup and carryout services at restaurants when ordering food.
- Celebrate small during the holiday by using phone calls, zoom session or letters
- Don’t eat or drink with anyone outside your household
- Avoid travel and stay close to home whenever possible.
- Avoid mass gatherings. If you must have a gathering, limit the size or use a virtual platform.
- Use common sense when it comes to gatherings. Keep them small, virtual.
- Celebrate at home during the holidays and only with immediate family members.
DeWine also announced that a daily statewide curfew between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. is being extended until at least Jan. 2.
During the curfew, retail establishments need to be closed by 10 p.m.
DeWine said the curfew was put in place to ease the pressure on the health-care system in the state by cutting down on social gatherings.
Religious services are not affected by the curfew, he said.
There are four exemptions to the curfew: MLS Columbus Crew championship game on Saturday, Monday Night Football games with the Browns and Bengals and the Cincinnati Bearcats conference championship game.
During the briefing, DeWine announced that Ohio recorded its fourth-highest daily count of new cases of COVID and 111 new deaths on Thursday.
The announcements came as all but five of Ohio’s 88 counties are either purple or red, the two highest levels on the advisory map.
The five purple counties, where statistics show severe exposure and spread of the virus, include Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark and Summit.
Washington County, which was one of two new counties added to the state’s COVID watch list, is among 78 counties that are now red, which indicates very high exposure and spread. Governor DeWine says it’s the first time since the map was introduced last summer both Washington and Noble counties have had this designation.
Five counties - Gallia, Hocking, Monroe, Vinton and Wyandot - are orange, which indicates increased exposure and spread.
Copyright 2020 WTAP. All rights reserved.
The Link LonkDecember 11, 2020 at 02:53AM
https://www.wtap.com/2020/12/10/washington-county-now-red-on-ohio-covid-map/
Washington County now red on Ohio COVID map - WTAP
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment