On October 27, Governor Mike DeWine announced that 82 of Ohio’s 88 counties are now considered high incidence COVID counties as defined by the federal government. This means that the county has seen more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks.
Gov. DeWine also announced that number of patients treated in Intensive Care Units (ICU) at hospitals throughout the state are at the highest rate since the beginning of the crisis. He said that based on the indicators we have not yet reached the peak of our hospitalizations, and the ICU utilization has doubled since the beginning of October. Gov. DeWine explained that most of Ohio’s cases are a result of community spread.
“As the virus spreads in the community from gatherings where people aren’t wearing masks or social distancing, it directly impacts our ability to keep our schools open, to protect our vulnerable elderly in nursing homes, and to keep our hospitals from being over-run and exceeding capacity,” said Gov. DeWine.
- Wear a mask when you are out in public, when you go to a store, and when you are with friends
- Keep your distance
- Wash your hands often
- Keep your building well-ventilated.
He also asked Ohio businesses to allow employees to work from home, when possible; to remind employees of the ways they can stop the spread of the virus; and require customers to wear masks.
Gov. DeWine also called on community leaders to inventory where they are in the battle against COVID-19. He asked them to work together to assess where they are, what they need to do, and set goals in their fight against the virus. The Governor and Lt. Governor will begin calls with community leaders to develop strategies moving forward, starting with the three counties on the watch list.