Lorain County On COVID-19 Watch List

AVON LAKE, OH — Lorain County is now on the COVID-19 watch list and could soon receive the worst color-coded designation a county can receive for virus spread.

On Thursday, Ohio Department of Health added Lorain County to its watch list. That means if Lorain County maintains its current COVID-19 metrics, next week the county will be declared "purple."

Purple is the worst color-coded designation a county can receive and means there is severe COVID-19 spread locally.

Between Dec. 30 and Jan. 12, Lorain County averaged 774 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. There were 2,398 active COVID-19 cases in the county during that time span, the Ohio Department of Health said. Lorain County ranks 33 out of Ohio's 88 counties for most cases per 100,000 residents.

Gov. Mike DeWine said Lorain County was moved to the watch list because there has been an uptick in residents utilizing health care, meaning more people are seeing doctors in Lorain County. That can be an early indicator of a coming surge in COVID-19 cases.

Statewide, DeWine said, there hasn't been a wave of new COVID-19 cases following the holidays, but there has been some movement.

"We’re not necessarily seeing a dramatic surge after Christmas and the New Year, but there is a bit of an upswing in our cases," the governor said.