Cuyahoga County Still 'Orange' For Decreased COVID-19 Threat

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County is still classified as "orange" for its COVID-19 threat, buoying hopes of a return to classrooms for some Northeast Ohio students.

Cuyahoga County is still 30th among Ohio's 88 counties for COVID-19 case occurrence, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

According to data from Sept. 7, Cuyahoga County is averaging 74.7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. That's actually down from last week, when the county averaged 83.1 cases per 100,000 residents.

Cuyahoga County had 919 active COVID-19 cases as of Sept. 7.

When the Ohio Department of Health launched its color-coded COVID-19 warning system for Ohio counties, Cuyahoga County routinely classified as "red," the second-most severe ranking. For the past four weeks, Cuyahoga County has been "orange," for its downgraded COVID-19 spread.

A red classification indicates a "very high" rate of "exposure and spread" of COVID-19 locally. Orange, the second-lowest ranking in the color-coded system, means there is "increased" COVID-19 spread locally.

Several school districts in Cuyahoga County have tied their reopening plans to the state's color-coded warning system. Should Cuyahoga County remain orange for an extended period of time, some school districts may return to in-person education.