Logan County was one of seven counties in the state that moved from the lowest COVID-19 alert level of yellow to the second alert level of orange Thursday on the weekly update to the Ohio Public Health Advisory System Update for COVID-19 released by the Ohio Department of Health.
A total of 51 other counties in the state are currently designated in the orange alert level two, indicating “increased exposure and spread” of the virus. Hardin, Auglaize and Shelby counties also are at an orange alert level, while Union and Champaign counties are designated as the first yellow alert level.
Friday, the Logan County Health District reported that 148 coronavirus cases since March, including 47 active cases, one current hospitalization and 99 individuals who have recovered.
This week, local health officials also confirmed the county’s second COVID-19 related death, which occurred July 30, as previously reported in the Examiner.
In the LCHD’s situational report released Thursday, data from July 2020 showed the various sources of transmission of 63 COVID-19 cases last month: household contact, 34 percent; unknown contact, 26 percent; event contact (wedding, funeral etc.), 12 percent; travel history, 11 percent; other contact, 9 percent; and workplace contact, 8 percent.
The 63 cases reported in July also were the greatest number of COVID-19 cases reported so far this year, with the second most cases — 22 — reported in May.
Also according to the Ohio Department of Health’s health advisory update, Mercer County has the highest case rate per capita in Ohio at 262.3 cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks. Mercer County also moved to a red alert this week.
The daily new cases for that county increased from an average of three per day in early July (July 11) to an average of 10 per day at the end of July (July 31).
Mercer County was the only county in Ohio to trigger the hospitalization increase indicator (indicator #6) this week. Recent outbreaks include a funeral, workplaces and some long-term care facilities. Travel in and out of the state also may be contributing to increased cases in the county.
The following counties remained red due to meeting the CDC definition of High Incidence: Allen, Cuyahoga, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Lucas and Marion.