Governor Mike DeWine announced the weekly changes to the Ohio Public Health Advisory System. The advisory system, first introduced on July 2, uses a set of seven indicators to measure how much COVID-19 is spreading in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. On July 9, Clermont County was elevated from a level two (orange) advisory to a level three (red advisory).

The seven indicators used for determining the advisory level for each county are:

• The number of new cases per capita (more than 50 per 100,000 residents over the last two weeks).

• A sustained increase in new cases – at least five consecutive days in overall new cases over the last three weeks.

• A proportion of cases not in a congregate setting – the proportion of cases that are not in a congregate setting goes over 50 percent.

• Increase in emergency department visits for COVID- like illness (increasing trend of at least five days over the previous three weeks).

• Sustained increase in outpatient visits for COVID-like illness. (trend of at least five consecutive days over the previous three weeks of people going to a health care provider for COVID symptoms who receive a COVID diagnosis

• Sustained increase in new COVID hospital admissions – increasing trend of at least five consecutive days in the number of COVID hospitalizations over the last three weeks.

• Intensive Care Unit bed occupancy – the percentage of occupied ICU beds in each region goes above 80 percent for at least three days in the last week, and more than 20 percent of ICU beds are being used for COVID positive patients.

At the July 23, announcement, Clermont County remained at a level three and met five of the above seven indicators.

When the announcement was made on July 30, Clermont County met only two of the seven indicators (non-congregate cases and outpatient visits)

The advisory levels are updated each Thursday at 2 p.m. during Governor DeWine’s press conference.