BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — On Thursday, Wood County was moved into the "red" category of Ohio's new Public Health Advisory Alert System, bringing forth a mask order in the area.
That order will go into effect Friday at 6 p.m.
Red is the third level of the state's four-level system that was announced last week. The goal of the new system is to give Ohioans an idea of how the virus is spreading in their specific community and provide best practices for counties at each level.
But, what does it mean to be in the "red" as part of this new system?
LEVEL RED
When a county moves into the red category, it's triggered four or five indicators of community spread, meaning there is likely a very high level of exposure.
On Tuesday, there were seven counties at this level. But on Thursday, that number jumped to 12.
Ohioans who live in these counties should limit activities when possible, consider online options and wear a mask as many cases of community spread are present.
Residents should limit themselves to necessary travel only.
WHAT INDICATORS ARE BEING CONSIDERED?
There are currently seven indicators state leaders are looking at when determining what level a county is in. Those data points are as follows:
- New cases per capita - When the data shows that a county has had an average of 50 cases per 100,000 people in a two-week period, that will trigger a flag for increasing case rate. This specific threshold was chosen because this is the point at which the CDC defines a populations case rate as going from "moderate" to "moderately high."
- Sustained increase in new cases - If the number of new cases continually increases for a series of days, this indicates virus spread. A county will be flagged for this indicator if it has a five-day period of sustained new case growth.
- Proportion of cases not congregate cases - The risk of spread in congregate living facilities is very high, however, DeWine the risk of spread from these facilities to outside communities is relatively low. This is why leaders are giving more weight to non-congregate cases when looking at community spread. When leaders see a high number of cases from those living in the broader community, that is a big concern, DeWine said. When 50% of new cases in a three-week period are from outside congregate care facilities, this will trigger a flag under this new system.
- Sustained increase in emergency room visits - Emergency room data will show the trend in the number of people who visit the E.R. with COVID-19 symptoms or a confirmed coronavirus cases. A county will be flagged when there is an increase of ER visits over a five-day period.
- Sustained increase in outpatient visits - This looks at the number of people visiting outpatient facilities, including telehealth with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 systems. This lets us know how many people are sick enough to go to the doctor's office. This can be an early warning indicator for future hospitalizations. A county is flagged if there is an increase over a five-day period.
- Sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions - This data point shows the burden of COVID-19 in the community. When the numbers show at least a five-day period of sustained growth in the number of county residents with COVID-19 who are sick enough to be admitted to the hospital. DeWine made clear, this indicator looks at the county of residence, and not the county of the hospital in which that patient is being treated.
- ICU bed occupancy - This indicator looks at regional data of coronavirus and non-coronavirus use of ICU beds. This gives us an idea of how full our hospitals are. A county is flagged if the regional occupancy goes above 80% on at least three of the last seven days.
DeWine said last week that several other factors, including contact tracing, tests per capita and percent positivity, could soon be added to that list.
WHAT PUTS WOOD COUNTY IN LEVEL RED?
Over the last three weeks, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said that cases have increased in Wood County.
Over the last three weeks, there have been 63 cases per 100,000 people. Additionally, 18% of total cases in the county have come up in the last two weeks. From June 16 to July 11, the average daily new cases increased from less than one to 9.
More than 89% of these cases have been in non-congregate settings, which DeWine said indicates community spread. This is because while cases spread quickly in settings like jails or nursing homes where people are grouped together, it is unlikely that these cases will spread outside of those walls and into the broader community.
Another concerning trend that landed Wood County in the red is an increase in outpatient visits. From June 16 to July 2, that average doubled from three to six per day.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Counties in the red category are required to wear a mask in public spaces. Again, for those just added, this goes into effect Friday at 6 p.m.
Once a county drops back down into the orange or yellow categories, the mask order expires.
If you live in a county, like Wood, that is under a mask order, here is what is expected:
- In any indoor location that is not a residence
- When they are outdoors and unable to consistently maintain six feet of distance from anyone who is not a member of their household
- While they are waiting for or riding/driving in public transportation, car service, private care service, tax service or ride sharing vehicle.
The order does not apply to children under the age of 10 or anyone who is unable to safely wear a face covering.
Enforcement
DeWine said that violating the mask order would be considered a misdemeanor. However, he made clear the goal isn't to get people in trouble.
"We're not looking to see people... a lot of people arrested that's not the idea at all," DeWine said. "The idea is that this is the norm. This is what is needed for Ohioans to stay safe. And if we are not able to successfully do this and carry this out, we're going to see this virus take command again and that's not a situation that we would want."
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said it is not up to the business, but up to the municipalities to enforce these rules, making clear he doesn't expect a grocery store clerk or others to physically have to impose the order. Businesses should remind patrons that a mask is required, but in an extreme situation, they should turn that over to the local community for enforcement.
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