Medina County’s COVID-19 Community Level joins 46 other counties in the state listed high risk as cases, hospitalizations and hospital-bed usage are on the rise.
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Summit and Portage counties remain at “medium” levels and Stark and Wayne counties are designated “low.”
“We are seeing a steady increase in COVID cases in Summit County,” Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda said on Friday.
Health officials continue to believe case numbers are underreported as more people either don’t test or take at-home tests and do not report their positive results.
“It is estimated that cases are likely eight times higher than what is reported,” Skoda said.
“As we see cases increase, it is still important to remember that the mitigation efforts work to reduce the spread. Individuals should stay home when they are sick, wash hands often, wear a mask when you are in a large group and are unable to maintain social distance and disinfect and surfaces often.”
To report a positive at-home test in Summit County, go to www.tiny.cc./hometest19
Nearly half of all new reported COVID-19 cases in Ohio in recent weeks have come from the BA.5 variant, according to state health department data.
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What are local community levels?
The CDC community level is based on a combination of three metrics — COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 resident, bed capacity and cases per 100,000 residents. The COVID-19 community level — released every Thursday — is determined by the higher of the new admissions and inpatient beds metrics, based on the current level of new cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.
Here are details about the latest COVID community levels in Greater Akron:
- Medina County’s COVID-19 level is “high” and has 203.06 new cases per 100,000 cases. It has 12.5 new COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 and 4.3% of staffed inpatient beds with COVID patients.
- Summit County is “medium” and has 144.36 cases per 100,000 cases. It has 12.5 per 100,000 new COVID hospitalizations and 4.3% of staffed inpatient beds were in use by COVID patients.
- Portage County is “medium” and has 151.42 cases per 100,000, 12.5 new hospitalizations per 100,000 and 4.3% of staffed inpatient beds were in use by COVID patients.
- Stark County is “low” and has 135.18 per 100,000 cases. New COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 were 8.9 and 4.8% of staffed inpatient beds were in use by COVID patients.
- Wayne County is “low” and has 143.46 new cases per 100,000 and 8.9 new COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 and 4.8% of staffed inpatient beds were in use by COVID patients.
Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or [email protected]. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher
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