Cuyahoga County Now 'Red' For Coronavirus Spread

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County's COVID-19 threat has been upgraded by the Ohio Department of Health.

After weeks of being classified as an "orange" county, Cuyahoga is now "red." The Ohio Department of Health defines a "red" county as a county with "very high" COVID-19 "exposure and spread." There are now 29 "red" counties in Ohio.

Despite its upgraded threat, Cuyahoga County has one of the lowest COVID-19 transmission rates in the state, when compared to other counties, according to Ohio Department of Health data. Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 13, Cuyahoga County had 72.6 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. During those two weeks, there nearly 900 active COVID-19 cases in the county.

However, outpatient visits in Cuyahoga County have spiked dramatically over the past 10 days. Two weeks ago, the county was averaging 187 outpatient visits per day. By Oct. 13, the county was averaging 445 outpatient visits per day.

Many Cuyahoga County schools have begun welcoming students back into classrooms because of the county's sustained stretch of "orange" classification. However, there are concerns that students and staff still aren't receiving enough COVID-19 tests.

The Greater Cleveland Congregations called on all public schools in Cuyahoga County to increase testing access for all students and staff. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health has set out guidelines for school districts to reopen. However, the congregations said the guidelines miss one crucial component: frequent COVID-19 testing for students, teachers and staff.

The congregations cited a Rockefeller Foundation study that found daily COVID-19 testing can reduce transmission of the virus by 90 percent.