Severe ongoing coronavirus spread caused Montgomery County on Wednesday to receive the highest level of warning, level 4 or purple, in Ohio’s Public Health Advisory System. Level 4 means there is severe exposure and spread of COVID-19, and residents are urged to stay home except for necessary travel to get supplies and services. Meanwhile, Warren County was put on a list of counties that could move up to level 4 if conditions don’t improve.
Ohio Travel Advisory now includes 16 states to avoid
Ohio updated its travel advisory and now urges residents to avoid traveling to 16 states with high positivity rates. These include Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Ohio sees over 10,000 cases, 400 hospitalizations
Ohio has reached a new record for daily hospitalizations, with 417 reported Wednesday. The state also surpassed 10,000 daily reported cases for the second time with 10,835 new cases. However, these numbers are likely inflated due to a technical issue at two labs that delayed when the test results were added.
Falling Ohio jobless rate could soon end some unemployment benefits
Ohio’s government warned that the state’s recently lowered unemployment rate will trigger changes in federal and state benefits. By Dec. 12, the state believes that unemployment rates may have fallen enough that the federal-state Extended Benefits program will end for those who were eligible to receive up to 20 weeks of benefits. At the same time, those currently receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance will not qualify for seven additional weeks of benefits from that program.
Huber Heights schools to stay online until January
Students in Huber Heights will continue to attend online classes until Jan. 18, the district announced on Facebook. The schools had already been virtual since Nov. 9 when coronavirus cases among staff began to rise. However, as additional cases of COVID-19 were reported in staff across the district, the district decided it couldn’t return to classrooms.
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