Allen County remains at Risk Level 3 (Red) for COVID-19 as of October 29, 2020

Public health data indicates that for the second week in a row Allen County is designated Red Alert Level 3 for risk of the spread of COVID-19, as defined by the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. Allen County meets the following three data indicators:

•  New cases per capita (375.2 cases per 100,000 residents) *100/100,000 is considered high-incidence by the CDC

•  Sustained increase in new cases

•  Proportion of cases not in congregate settings, such as long term care facilities, indicating community spread

Allen County is experiencing widespread community transmission. The majority of our cases are due to people interacting in social settings.

To illustrate the rapid increase in cases we are experiencing, for the month of September we had 323 newly identified cases of COVID-19 in Allen County – we have had 322 new cases in just the past 7 days.

Additionally, Mercy Health St. Rita’s and Lima Memorial Health shared at a press conference on Oct 28  that the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in their facilities was 87. This is the highest level they have seen since the pandemic began and is stressing their resources, particularly staffing needs.

Governor Mike DeWine has challenged residents in counties with high incidence of COVID-19 to work together to slow the spread.

All counties should have a goal of decreasing how many people get sick each week. We can reach this goal by following the recommendations below:

•  Protect others and yourself: Assess your health every day and stay home if you are sick

•  Stay home if you are waiting for COVID-19 test results, or if you are a close contact (within 6 feet for longer than a total 15 minutes/day) to someone diagnosed with COVID-19

•  Wear a mask – if 8 out of 10 people wear a mask we can get our numbers down significantly

•  Cancel or postpone activities and events that bring groups of people together. Examples include Halloween parties and watch parties for sporting events.

•  Residents are also encouraged to begin making alternate plans for celebrating the upcoming holidays, as extended-family gatherings have been identified as a significant source of spread for the coronavirus.

Plan to Reduce Your Risk
Every decision regarding participation in an activity should be filtered through the following questions:

•  Will all participants present be able to maintain distancing of at least 6 feet apart from one another?

•  Will participants be wearing masks consistently and correctly, e.g. taken off only if actively eating or drinking?

•  Will hand washing and sanitizing opportunities be readily available?

•  Will cleaning and disinfecting be conducted regularly?

•  Will there be only a small number of people present, e.g. no crowds?

If you can’t answer yes to these questions you need to reconsider participating in that activity.