AKRON, Ohio — Summit County has extended its stay at home advisory through Feb. 28 due to the continued high number of coronavirus cases in the area.
County Executive Ilene Shapiro and Health Commissioner Donna Skoda made the announcement Friday afternoon. Summit County has been under the advisory since Nov. 19, and while it is not an order like the directive issued by Gov. Mike DeWine statewide last March, it still urges residents to only leave their homes for things like medical care and picking up food and groceries.
"For months, Summit County residents have made sacrifices to protect the health and safety of our families, friends, coworkers and neighbors, and there is no doubt these sacrifices have saved lives," Shapiro said in a statement. "We are all looking forward to the day we can get back to our normal lives and routines, but with just 1% of Ohio’s population fully vaccinated, we must continue to exercise caution and minimize our risk."
Though COVID-19 cases have been steadily dropping in Ohio since mid-December, officials have cautioned that the number is still a bit too high for their liking. New, potentially more contagious strains of the virus coming from the United Kingdom and South Africa have also complicated matters, especially since studies have shown some vaccines aren't as effective against the latter.
"Continuing to stay home as much as possible is the best way to keep COVID-19 cases in a downward trend. We saw what happened when we let our guard down this past fall—cases and hospitalizations surged," Skoda said. "We have to all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community—wear a mask and limit activity outside your home—until everyone who wants a vaccine can get one."
Statewide orders such as the current 11 p.m. curfew and the face mask mandate remain in full force.