LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Lucas County is currently the only county in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois with a red designation according to the CDC's COVID-19 Community Levels.
But according to the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, this is because 400 positive at-home tests from schools dating back as far as 2021 were added to the system, which caused the sudden rise in cases.
"There were days that we were seeing 3,000 cases in a day that we were trying to enter or keep up with, so it doesn't surprise me that there are some cases that either (the Ohio Department of Health) found or was in a file someplace," TLCHD Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski said.
The COVID-19 Community Levels are updated every Thursday. As of the last update in Lucas County, the case Rate per 100,000 population is 218.05, new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population are 12.2 and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 is 3.3%.
When a county is designated a high level of transmission, the CDC recommends multiple health and safety precautions including:
- Wear a mask indoors in public and on public transportation
- Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
- Get tested if you have symptoms
Those who are at a high risk for severe illness are recommended to take additional precautions.
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