Health & Fitness
12 Ohio Counties Now Classified As 'Red' For COVID-19 Spread
Masks will now be mandated in public in 12 Ohio counties with significant spread of COVID-19.
COLUMBUS, OH — Five Ohio counties have been upgraded to "red" status, meaning there is significant spread of COVID-19 within the county.
There are now 11 counties in Ohio classified as "red" or "Level 3," Gov. Mike DeWine announced. Hamilton, Cuyahoga and Butler counties could become the first Ohio counties to be classified as "Level 4" or "purple," if conditions do not improve locally in one week.
The current red counties are: Butler, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Fairfield, Franklin, Hamilton, Lorain, Montgomery, Pickaway, Summit, Trumbull and Wood. DeWine has made masks mandatory in "red" counties.
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Counties newly classified as "red" will have a mandatory mask rule in effect on Friday at 6 p.m.
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DeWine said Ohioans should not live their lives in fear of COVID-19, but should be more aware of how they can protect themselves and others.
"This isn't about fear. It's about controlling our future," DeWine said. He then added that Ohioans don't want to become "Texas or Florida."
NEW RISK LEVEL MAP: 12 counties have triggered enough indicators to be at Red Alert Level 3. Three of those counties are on the watch list, meaning they are close to reaching Level 4: Butler, Cuyahoga, Hamilton. Franklin Co. dropped off the watch list. Huron now a Level 2. pic.twitter.com/59M9Yl4vT6
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 9, 2020
Ohio again confirmed more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, the state health department announced.
Hospitalizations related to the virus continue to rise, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday. He said the increase was "concerning."
On June 26, there 619 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals in Ohio. As of July 9, there were 905 patients being treated statewide. There has been a steady increase in hospitalizations related to the virus, DeWine said Thursday.
Cuyahoga County had 999 reported cases of COVID-19 between June 24 and June 30, the largest number of weekly cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic, DeWine said Thursday.
On July 7, Ohio's COVID-19 tests returned 6.9 percent positive. That's the highest positive rate since late May, DeWine said.
Here are all of Wednesday's COVID-19 numbers from the Ohio Department of Health:
- New cases: 1,150
- New deaths: 15
- New hospitalizations: 81
- New ICU admissions 19
Current Confirmed #COVID19 Patient Count in Ohio Hospitals. On June 26 there were 619 #COVID19 patients in hospitals around the state. Since then, we have increased to 905 as of today. pic.twitter.com/wqWjSNfUip
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 9, 2020
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