Ohio COVID-19 situation improving

On Feb 25, 2022

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new COVID map Friday, showing that most of Ohio, including Franklin and surrounding counties, sit in medium to low-risk COVID-19 community levels.

Most of Ohio is now in a medium- to low-risk COVID-19 community level, according to a new map released Friday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The map shows Franklin County and a majority of its surrounding counties are at a medium community level, which the CDC defines as COVID-19 having “some impact on healthcare system, more people with severe disease.”

Fairfield County is the only adjacent county designated at a low level, which the CDC defines as “limited impact on healthcare system, low levels of severe disease.”

The new map comes as reported COVID-19 case numbers have continued to see a downward trend in the state, after cases peaked in early January with more than 30,000 cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

OhioHealth medical director of infectious diseases Dr. Joe Gastaldo said while the numbers have been decreasing, the pandemic is not over..

He added that he likes the CDC’s announcement Friday, as he feels it’s easy for people to digest and understand, since it’s based on how cases are impacting hospitals and the rest of the healthcare system.

“I like this because it is a living document that can change. We have to be transparent with people about that,” Gastaldo said. “If things get worse, and they may get worse, we have to be prepared to go back up to the mask wearing and the other mitigation recommendations that we’ve had for the last couple years.”

In medium-risk locations, the CDC recommends people should talk to their healthcare providers about the need for wearing a mask, especially immunocompromised individuals or those with increased health risks. In high-risk areas, the CDC continues to recommend masks in public indoor spaces and schools.

On Feb. 16, officials from Bexley, Columbus, Whitehall and Worthington announced in a joint statement that they may consider lifting their cities’ mask mandates in the near future due to the decrease in COVID cases around the state.

And on Tuesday, Bexley City Council did just so, as its members unanimously voted to lift the city’s indoor mask mandate. However, the city’s school district decided to keep its mandate and will review the superintendent’s recommendations at a board meeting on March 9.

“At the time we instituted the mask mandate we committed to following the guidance of public health authorities. Public health authorities around the country have recognized the lower risk from omicron, particularly in the face of mass vaccination and increasing public immunity, and restrictions around the country are lessening,” Mayor Ben Kessler wrote in a statement explaining the change in direction.

However, the Columbus City Council told The Dispatch that they will continue to wait for health guidance to decide whether to lift the city’s mask mandate.

“Council is continuing to work collaboratively with Columbus Public Health and Dr. Mysheika Roberts (the city’s health commissioner) on following the cases and hospitalization numbers impacting the mask mandate,” Council spokesman David Miller said. If trends continue to head in the right direction, the mask mandate will be lifted to accommodate the lower COVID-19 spread in the community.”

A Columbus Public Health spokesperson said Friday, “We look forward to seeing the guidance and will make a determination (about the city’s mask mander) after we’ve had a chance to review it and the most recent local data.”

Several area school districts have already lifted their mask mandates — such as Canal Winchester, Dublin, Gahanna-Jefferson, New Albany-Plain and Westerville — and other districts are discussing the issue. Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest school district, continues to have a mask mandate in place.