The Ohio Public Health Advisory System has four levels of alerts, based on how many of seven different indicators of coronavirus spread that each count meets. A level four alert is the highest alert level and means that people in that county are advised to only go out in public for essentials.
Montgomery County remains at a level three alert when the map was updated Thursday. This is based on its concerning levels of new cases per capita; having emergency department visits increasing for at least five consecutive days in the last three weeks for COVID-like illness or diagnosis; having at least five days in a row of rising outpatient visits for confirmed or suspected COVID; and over the last three weeks having a week with more than half of cases outside of congregated settings like nursing homes.
While the rate of new cases is high, the number of new cases has been declining in the county. There were 590 new cases detected in the last two weeks in Montgomery County, according to the health department. Last weeks report stated Montgomery County had 784 new cases during the past 14 days.
Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County recommends that while the county is at a level three that employees should work from home where possible; the public should not attend large social gatherings or events designed to bring people together like festivals, conferences or spectator sports; that churches are encouraged to have in-vehicle or online services; as well as other detailed guidance reported online at phdmc.org.
Hospital admissions of county residents have been declining and as of Aug. 4 were at a seven day average of 3.7 hospital admissions, where three weeks ago the average was 10.7 daily admissions.
After a previous rise, there are indications of COVID-19 care demand at hospitals slowing. About 68.5% of ICU beds in the region were reported full as of Aug. 4 and about 7.3% were full with COVID-19 patients. A week prior, 75% of regional ICU beds were reported occupied and 11% were occupied with COVID-19 patients.
“We are consistently seeing a decline across the region in our overall COVID-19 positive cases and a continued decline in those individuals who require the intensive care unit and an even more significant decline in our ventilated patients,” said Sarah Hackenbracht, CEO of Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association.
Shelby, Darke, Miami, Preble, Greene, Butler and Warren counties remain at level two. Champaign County is the only county at level one in the Miami Valley region.
Public Health - Dayton and Montgomery County is giving out free masks to the public to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We just want to make sure everyone realizes how important wearing the masks are because it cuts down the spread of COVID between people,” said Dan Suffoletto, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County spokesman, during the first mask giveaway Thursday at the Dayton Metro Library Northwest branch, 2410 Philadelphia Drive. “If both people are wearing masks it will significantly cut down the spread.”
Public Health is looking to have more giveaways. The next event is Friday, Aug. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Dayton.
“We are going to various locations but we’re trying to get into areas where we think people may have transportation challenges or other challenges that may prohibit them from going and getting a mask,” Suffoletto said. “We’re trying to spread it out as much as possible but also being mindful about those at-risk areas.”
Summary of Ohio Public Health Advisory Alert System 7 indicators
When determining whether a county is a level one, two, three or four alert, the system looks at how many of the following seven indicators that counties meet:
New cases per capita: Flagged if greater than 50 cases per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks. Allows for counties with different population sizes to be appropriately compared.
Sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions: Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 consecutive days in overall cases by onset date over the last 3 weeks. Reflects disease spread in the population.
High proportion of cases that aren’t congregate cases: Flagged if proportion of cases that are not in a congregate setting goes over 50% in at least one of the last 3 weeks.
Sustained increase in emergency visits for COVID-like illness: Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 consecutive days in the number of visits to the emergency department with COVID-like illness or a diagnosis over the last 3 weeks.
Sustained increase in outpatient visits: Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 consecutive days in the number of people going to a health care provider with COVID symptoms who then receive a COVID confirmed or suspected diagnosis over the last 3 weeks.
Sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions: Flagged if increasing trend of at least 5 consecutive days in the number of new hospitalizations due to COVID over the last 3 weeks.
ICU bed occupancy: Flagged if percentage of the occupied ICU beds in each region goes above 80% for at least three days in the last week, and more than 20% of ICU beds are being used for COVID-19 positive patients for at least three days in the last week.