The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) continues to make modifications to its webpages and the location for the COVID-19 cases was changed in September and again this month. The current ODH webpage with the COVID-19 data is now located on the COVID-19 Reporting webpage and the State and county cases per 100,000 database can be found at this link. As of October 5, there are 48 counties with cases at or greater than 100 cases per 100,000. The CDC hospitalization numbers can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker webpage. There are 8 counties that have hospitalization rates of greater than 10 per 100,000 population.
LeadingAge Ohio held an all-member call explaining the different metrics and thresholds to consider when determining if a healthcare setting should go back into universal masking in accordance with the CDC guidance on broad use of masking. This CDC guidance can be found on the CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic webpage and the CMS QSO-20-39-NH visitation memo outlining the core principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control. The record and slides can be found on the LeadingAge Ohio Communications webpage and is found under the recent all member calls tab.