LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Lucas and Wood counties were downgraded to the yellow COVID-19 Community Level on Thursday by the CDC, one week after a small bump in cases pushed the counties into the red designation.
The yellow designation comes with recommendations for both public and personal health and safety from the CDC. Those include:
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you are exhibiting symptoms
- Wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19
- Wear a mask while using public transportation
According to the CDC, individuals can also choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution. And for those who are at a high risk for severe illness, the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors, as well as taking additional precautions.
The CDC uses multiple factors to determine COVID-19 Community Levels.
As of Sept. 22 in Lucas County, the case rate per 100,000 is 169.96. New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 are 19.1. And the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 is 5.6%, which is the same percentage as when the county was moved to the red designation on Sept. 15.
As of Sept. 22 in Wood County, the case rate per 100,000 is 178.88. New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 are 19.1. And the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 is also 5.6%.
The CDC recommends some basic health and hygiene practices regardless of community levels to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include thorough and proper handwashing, improving air ventilation and filtration indoors and staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
To find available COVID-19 vaccines and boosters in your zip code, visit vaccines.gov.
The COVID-19 Community Levels for other counties in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, as of Sept. 22, are below:
- Defiance: Medium
- Erie: High
- Fulton: Medium
- Hancock: Low
- Henry: Low
- Huron: High
- Lenawee: Medium
- Monroe: Medium
- Ottawa: Low
- Paulding: Low
- Putnam: Medium
- Sandusky: High
- Seneca: Medium
- Williams: Medium
- Wood: High
- Wyandot: Medium