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STEUBENVILLE -- Jefferson County is now at Level 2 -- orange on Ohio's color-coded COVID-19 advisory map, Health Commissioner Nicole Balakos reports.
Level 2 indicates there's been increased exposure and spread.
"The rating of orange is validation of the serious warnings I gave last week," Balakos said. "I am greatly concerned about the potential ramifications to our county if this pattern continues in future weeks. The spread of COVID-19 as we continue into the summer and fall remains critical. The next four weeks will determine the overall health of our community in respect to COVID-19 and 2020."
Balakos said residents "have the power to turn this steep upward curve through more responsible actions."
She said Jefferson County was flagged in three of Ohio's seven alert indicators:
≤ New cases per capita (more than 50 cases per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks)
≤ Sustained increase in new cases (reflecting disease spread in the population)
≤ Proportion of cases not in a congregate setting (an indicator there's a greater risk of community spread).
Balakos said those are "the three most critical indicators for lagging details of community spread and put us in orange on the risk level indicator."
"These details show that the case trajectory is on a path that is exponentially dangerous based on what we know about the spread of this disease," she said in a Facebook post Thursday. "This validates the message I have been saying over the last two weeks that our pattern was not in a good place. … It is not about what today looks like; it is about how communicable disease spreads and what four weeks from now will look like if we do not make decisive behavior changes. You each hold the future of our county risk level in your actions and behaviors. You can change our fall."
If Jefferson County were to add another indicator in another evaluation period, residents would be subjected to a red alert level, which includes mandatory masking.
"I can see our three indicators climbing higher and a risk of a fourth going red," Balakos said.
"It is a critical juncture to turn the tide now and reinforce those key public health messages of hand washing, social distancing, staying home if you are sick, wearing a face covering and cleaning high touch surfaces," she added. "We want to encourage folks to seek medical care if they see encountering symptoms and remind them that younger patients typically present mild to moderate and then continue to spread disease in the community. This can be halted with the use of masks and other public health principles."
Balakos said the current Ohio Department of Health Director's Orders have been extended for the period of the public health emergency, so no expiration date has been established. Generally speaking, gatherings of 10 or more are not permitted in the director's order unless another order specifically opens/allows the activity.