The first map — Cases per 100,000 Residents Over 2 Weeks — shows the cases per capita during the past couple weeks. Every county in Ohio exceeds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s threshold for high incidence, which is 100 cases per 100,000 residents, according to a release from the ODH.
The statewide average of cases per capita during the previous two weeks was 258 at the beginning of November. For this week’s update, the statewide average is 658 cases per 100,000 residents during the past two weeks, the release stated.
There also are 71 of Ohio’s 88 counties with averages at 500 or more; this means that at least one out of every 200 residents has tested positive for COVID during the past two weeks and are at risk of spreading it to others, according to the ODH.
The average number of cases per 100,000 residents across the Miami Valley is higher than the state’s average at 694, data show. Following is a breakdown by county:
Warren County: 926.7
Miami County: 874.9
Darke County: 845.2
Butler County: 784.8
Montgomery County: 780
Greene County: 776.6
Clark County: 726.4
Preble County: 655.5
Logan County: 564.9
Champaign County: 537.5
The second map — Regional COVID-19 ICU Utilization — shows the percent of all ICU patients who are COVID positive and is shown as a weekly average by hospital preparedness region.
Credit: Ohio Department of Health
Credit: Ohio Department of Health
At the beginning of November, about 15% of Ohio’s ICU patents were COVID positive, or 1 out of every 7. Now, that percentage is 31%, which means that 1 out of every 3 ICU patients is COVID positive.
“The current impact on the health care system is severe and unsustainable,” the ODH release stated.
The ODH also released an updated Ohio Public Health Advisory System map, which shows that 84 counties in the state are red and four are orange.
“At these levels, residents are advised to exercise a high degree of caution and to limit activities as much as possible to help slow the spread of the virus,” the release said.
Ohio is no longer seeing sharp increases in new cases and hospitalizations; however, the effects of the recent holidays have not been seen.
That is why Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud on New Year’s Eve signed a health order encouraging people to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they are working or engaged in an essential activity. This extends the previous order until Jan. 23.
The ODH will not report new coronavirus information Friday in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday. Friday data will be reported on Saturday.
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