Nearing Purple, But No New Health Advisories For Lake, Lorain Counties

Lake and Lorain county officials are relying on residents to stay vigilant as the coronavirus surges – but not issuing any additional health advisories or orders, even after Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday placed both on the watch list for potentially moving to the highest risk level on the state’s public health advisory alert system.

Lorain County officials want people to take the risk of COVID-19 seriously, said Lorain County Public Health Program Manager Katie Bevan, but the county does not plan to implement a stay-at-home advisory at this time.

“We will wait and see and just continue to remind people about their social responsibility, just getting back to the basics that we know are proven to reduce risk and slow the spread of COVID-19,” Bevan said.

The county is encouraging residents to follow the same precautions that have been recommended throughout the pandemic. People need to return to the level of awareness they had during the first wave of the coronavirus, Bevan said.

“A majority of people focused on, in the springtime especially, staying home as much as possible, really being aware of hand hygiene and handwashing, wearing our mask, and keeping 6 feet apart when we are around other people,” Bevan said.

As the holidays approach, Bevan said Lorain County residents need to ask themselves and their families hard questions about what the risks of gathering are and how to mitigate them.

“Those desires about wanting to be social and the need that we have as human beings to be social and be around people we care about is more complicated when we’re in the middle of a pandemic and approaching the holiday season,” Bevan said.

Lake County officials have no plans to issue a stay-at-home advisory at this time, a spokesperson for the Lake County General Health District (LCGHD­) told ideastream vai email.

“LCGHD has opted to provide recommendations to that are similar to what others have included in an advisory,” the spokesperson said. Those recommendations include shifting to remote schooling, cancelling or postponing community events and leaving home only for work or essential activities.

Six of the seven key indicators of Level 4 virus spread have already been met in Lake County, according to a LCGHD press release, including the number of new cases per capita, the proportion of cases not from a congregate setting, and sustained increases in new cases, emergency department visits, outpatient visits and hospital admissions.