What you need to know as more Northeast Ohio counties elevated to 'high' and 'medium' COVID levels on CDC map

AKRON, Ohio — As COVID cases continue to rise across Northeast Ohio, multiple counties have recently been elevated to the "high" and "medium" levels on the county-by-county map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But what does this actually mean for you? Where does your county stand? Here are the Northeast Ohio counties currently listed at medium or high levels of concern (CDC releases new data at 8 p.m. each day):

HIGH LEVEL (orange)

• Ashtabula
• Cuyahoga
• Lorain

CDC guidance:

• Wear a mask indoors in public
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms
• Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness

RELATED: Face masks will again be required inside all Cuyahoga County government buildings beginning June 1

MEDIUM LEVEL (yellow)

• Erie
• Geauga
• Huron
• Lake
• Mahoning
• Medina
• Portage
• Summit
• Trumbull

CDC guidance:

• If you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions
• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms

RELATED: COVID-19 in Ohio: Tracking the weekly data

LOW LEVEL (green)

For all other counties in the low level, here's the recommended guidance from the CDC:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
• Get tested if you have symptoms

HOW EACH LEVEL IS DETERMINED

Here's how the CDC breaks down each COVID level:

NEW DETAILS FROM SUMMIT COUNTY

Summit County is among the areas now listed at the “medium” level by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a result of the updated COVID status, Summit County Public Health released the following guidelines Wednesday morning to help explain how it impacts you:

• Stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Test if you have COVID-19 symptoms.
• Wear a mask if you have symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID-19.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Wear a mask on public transportation.
• Consider wearing a mask in indoor settings where social distancing is not possible.
• You may choose to wear a mask at any time as an additional precaution to protect yourself and others.
• You should wear a mask indoors and in public if you are at high risk for severe illness.

How did we get here?

“Summit County’s weekly metrics used to determine the designation of medium COVID-19 community level include a case rate per 100,000 population of 228.65, new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population of 7.6 and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19 is at 4 percent,” Summit County Public Health said in a statement.

Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous COVID story on May 18, 2022.

SUBSCRIBE: Get the day's top headlines sent to your inbox each weekday morning with the free 3News to GO! newsletter

Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? Download the free WKYC app and get updates right on your phone: Android, Apple.