While there are currently no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Lake County as of 4:00 p.m. on March 12, 2020, today’s press conference with Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton conveyed that the public can assume that there is community spread of COVID-19 in the state of Ohio. Dr. Acton issued an order on March 12, 2020, mandating several actions in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The order includes the following directives:
- No outside visitors are permitted to nursing homes and/or assisted living facilities.
- No outside visitors are permitted to State psychiatric hospitals. The Ohio Mental Health Addiction Services Director will be issuing an order related to this directive.
- Starting at the close of school on Monday, March 16, 2020 all Ohio schools will be closed until April 3, 2020. This includes all public, private and charter schools.
- All mass gatherings of 100 people in a single room or a single space are banned.
Mass gatherings include auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, large conference rooms, meeting halls, cafeterias, or any other confined indoor or outdoor space. This also includes parades, fairs, and festivals. A mass gathering does NOT include normal operations at airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, shopping malls, shopping centers, or other spaces where 100 or more people may be in transit. It does NOT apply to typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories, or retail or grocery stores where large groups of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within arm’s length of one another. This does NOT apply to religious gatherings or gatherings for the purpose of exercising First Amendment protected speech (church services, weddings, and funerals). It is still very important to not attend any event if you are ill.
“While there are many exemptions to what constitutes a mass gathering, the Lake County General Health District is strongly encouraging individuals, businesses, and organizations to use their good judgement, and consider if your attendance or participating in an activity is truly necessary,” stated Ron H. Graham, Health Commissioner. “I also reiterate the Governor’s request for Lake County businesses to allow employees to work remotely whenever possible.
The best prevention against COVID-19 and other infectious disease remains to:
- Wash your hands often
- Stay home when you’re not feeling well, or have a cough, fever, or other illness
- Cover coughs and sneezes, and avoid touching your face
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces often
- Practice social distancing. Maintain a six-foot radius between yourself and others.
If you are feeling ill, and have signs of fever or respiratory illness, please contact your healthcare provider first before going to any healthcare facility. Please also consider using telemedicine options that may be available to you. “We only get one chance to slow the spread of COVID-19. We ask that everyone work together to keep our residents safe,” said Graham.
Ohio Department of Health’s call center to answer general questions about COVID-19 can be reached at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634), and is open from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Lake County General Health District will begin issuing bi-weekly Situation Reports that will also be available on the Lake County General Health District website (www.lcghd.org).
For more information on COVID-19, visit the websites of Lake County General Health District, Ohio Department of Public Health (www.coronavirus.ohio.gov), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), and the World Health Organization (www.who.int).
