New county specific COVID-19 orders

On July 2, 2020, Governor Dewine made masks mandatory for select counties across the state. This includes Cuyahoga. The new guidance follows a country-specific risk level that will dictate as to whether masks in public are required or not.

The indicators which affect the risk level of a county include the following:

It will always amaze me at the stories that come from our clinic. If I could, I would list each patient interaction…but let me share with you one story about how we all collectively saved a life.

The patient walked in, deciding that he would have a checkup as it is free and in a comfortable location (in a community center). He hasn’t been to the doctor’s office in quite some time. His situation was such that visiting a physician was a low priority due to changing life situations and financial stressors. Our volunteer physicians were able to detect an unwanted weight loss (which is often a red flag for other problems). And after the patient had the appropriate follow up with referrals, the patient had a relative come in to let us know that we saved his life. The patient had a tumor, and without the appropriate care, he would have passed away.

There are two takeaways from this story.

• New cases per capita over a 2 week period
• Sustained increase in new cases over a 5 day period
• Proportion of cases in a non-congregate setting
• Sustained increase in ER visits related to COVID-19 over a 5 day period
• Sustained increase in outpatient visits related to COVID-19 over a 5 day period
• Sustained increase in hospital admissions due to COVID-19 over a 5 day period
• ICU Bed occupancy, at least 80% of a county’s ICU Bed occupancy is occupied in 3 of the last 7 days.

If 4 out of the 7 above indicators are met, then those in that county are required to wear masks in public settings and failure to do so is a misdemeanor. If 6 or 7 are met, then it is considered to be a “severe” spread, and residents should stay home except for necessary supplies and services.

So what does that mean for us? It means that COVID-19 is still here. At this time we cannot pretend it does not exist, while at the same time we must collectively work for solutions to continue life as close to normal as possible to prevent further fallout socially and economically.

Although this is a daunting task, the easiest solution is to follow public health guidance and wear masks wherever necessary, regardless if the order is enforced by police or not. Please watch our video on masks below