[Akron, OH] –Summit County Public Health was alerted this afternoon that Summit County has moved from Risk Level 3/ Red into Risk Level 4/ Purple in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. Level 4 or Purple is the highest level of the Ohio Public Health Advisory System and indicates severe exposure and spread. Residents should only leave home for supplies and services and continue to follow all current health orders.
The Ohio Public Health Advisory System was established to increase the information available to Ohioans about Covid-19 risk at the county level. Seven indicators are analyzed to assess risk for each county. These measures are indicators of disease spread; disease severity; community concerns about health and the virus; hospital burden; and capacity to manage a possible surge in critical Covid-19 patients. The indicators are as follows:
1. New Cases Per Capita – Flagged if greater than 50 cases per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks.
2. Sustained Increase in New Cases – Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 days in overall cases by onset date.
3. Proportion of Cases Not In a Congregate Setting – Flagged if proportion of cases that are not in a congregate setting goes over 50%.
4. Sustained Increase in Emergency Room Visits – Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 days in the number of visits to the emergency department with Covid-like illness or a diagnosis.
5. Sustained Increase in Outpatient Visits - Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 days in the number of people going to a health care provider with Covid symptoms who then receive a Covid confirmed or suspected diagnosis.
6. Sustained Increase in New Covid-19 Hospital Admissions – Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 days in the number of new hospitalizations due to Covid.
7. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Bed Occupancy – Flagged if percentage of occupied ICU beds in each region goes above 80% for at least three days in the last week.
Level 4, or Purple, means that Summit County has met at least six of the seven indicators of concern for Covid-19 spread for at least two consecutive weeks.
1. New Cases Per Capita
2. Sustained Increase in in New Cases
3. Sustained Increase in Outpatient Visits
4. Sustained Increase in Emergency Department Visits For COVID-19 Like Illnesses.
5. Sustained Increase in New Covid-19 Hospital Admissions
6. ICU Bed Occupancy
All Summit County residents should follow the recommended guidelines for Risk Level 4/Purple to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
• Stay at home/ necessary travel only for supplies and services.
• Conduct a daily health/symptom self-evaluation and stay at home if symptomatic.
• Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from non-household members.
• Wear face coverings in public, especially when social distancing is difficult to maintain.
• Increase caution when interacting with others not practicing social distancing or wearing face coverings.
• Follow good hygiene standards, including:
Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Use hand sanitizer frequently.
Avoid touching your face.
Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g., into a tissue, or elbow).
Symptom self-evaluation monitoring.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is considered high-risk
• High-risk individuals should take extra care to following precautions
• Seek medical care as needed, but limit or avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities to see others as much as possible.
For more information about the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, visit http://coronavirus.ohio.gov. For more information about the coronavirus situation in Summit County visit https://www.scph.org/covid-19.
If you have questions, call the COVID-19 Call Line (330) 926-5795. The call line is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. M-F.
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