COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW)– Six counties were added to Level 3 of the Ohio Public Health Advisory Alert System on Thursday. It’s the state’s system for determined coronavirus risk.

The new counties at the red level are Clermont, Fairfield, Lorain, Pickaway, Summit and Wood. Already on the list were Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Montgomery and Trumbull counties.

Counties in Level 3 and Level 4 are subject to the mask requirement in public from DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health. The counties newly-elevated to Level 3 will be under the mask mandate beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.

Huron County was moved to a Level 2.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Butler, Cuyahoga and Hamilton counties are on a watch list, meaning they are close to reaching Level 4.

Ohio Public Health Advisory Alert System indicators:

• New cases per capita
• Sustained increase in new cases
• Proportion of cases that are not in congregate settings
• Sustained increase in COVID-19-related emergency room visits
• Sustained increase in COVID-19-related outpatient visits including telehealth
• Sustained increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions
• Intensive care unit occupancy.

Additional indicators to be added later: rate of new cases from contacts of known cases, tests per capita and percent positivity.

Levels of Public Health Advisory Alert System:

• Level 1 (Yellow): County has triggered zero or one of the indicators. There is active exposure and spread.
• Level 2 (Orange): County has triggered two or three indicators. There is increased risk of exposure and spread.
• Level 3 (Red): County has triggered four or five indicators. There is very high exposure and spread.
• Level 4 (Purple): County has triggered six or seven indicators. There is severe exposure and spread.

Currently, a majority of Ohio’s 88 counties are in Level 1. None are in Level 4.

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