Here are the latest details on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the area:
•As of Monday, the Ohio Department of Health has transitioned from a daily to weekly reporting of COVID-19 metrics. Moving forward, metrics will be updated on Thursdays.
This will include new and cumulative cases, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, vaccinations, deaths and reports from partner agencies such as Developmental Disabilities, Veteran’s Homes, Youth Services, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Rehabilitation and Corrections. Cases will continue to be assigned to the appropriate illness onset date, and vaccinations to their appropriate administration date.
• Fulton County had 10,299 overall reported cases as of Sunday according to the Ohio Department of Health. There have been 176 deaths reported in the county.
Henry County has had 6,416 cases and 106 deaths, Defiance County has had 10,179 cases and 162 deaths, and Williams County has had 8,980 cases and 159 deaths.
• Fulton County remains at low in the COVID-19 Community Level that was introduced last week by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC does not recommend indoor mask wearing for most individuals in counties at low or medium.
Lucas, Williams, Henry, Defiance and Wood counties are also listed as low.
At the low level, CDC recommendations include staying up to date with COVID vaccines and getting tested if you have symptoms. At the medium level, it is recommended that those at high risk for severe illness talk to a healthcare provider about whether they need to wear a mask or take other precautions.
Most of the state’s 88 counties are at the low level and the ones that are not are concentrated in Southeast Ohio.
COVID-19 Community Levels are a tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.
County levels can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/.
• As of Tuesday, there had been a total of 2,660,728 COVID cases reported in Ohio. There were 799 new cases reported that day.
The daily average over the last three weeks is 1,189.
• In Fulton County, 52.68% of residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The age range with the highest percentage in the county is 70-74 years old at 92.53%, according to Ohio Department of Health data.
Among the 75-79 age group, 88.44% have received a vaccination, with 87.53% of residents 80 and older getting a shot, according to Ohio data.
Among younger Fulton County residents, 20.8% of those 19 and under are vaccinated and 43.89% of those in their 20s.
• COVID-19 vaccine is available Mondays at the FCHD from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The last two hours are for kids ages 5-11.
Vaccine is also available at Rite Aid locations in Archbold, Swanton and Wauseon, the Wauseon Walmart, and Swanton Kroger.
• The federal government is now offering additional free COVID-19 tests. Visit COVIDtest.gov to request a test.
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 2 sets of 4 at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests are free.
The tests that will be sent are rapid antigen at-home tests that give results within 30 minutes. They are not the more accurate PCR tests.
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