Ohio's new COVID-19 Public Health Advisory Alerting System ranks Butler County at a level 3

July 2, 2020
For Immediate Release
Contact: Butler County General Health District

Ohio’s new COVID-19 Public Health Advisory Alerting System ranks Butler County at a level 3

BUTLER COUNTY, OH – According to Ohio’s new Public Health Advisory Alerting System, unveiled this afternoon by Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine, Butler County along with six other counties rank at a level 3, the second highest of the four possible levels.

“We are very concerned about the current RED level in Butler County,” says Jennifer Bailer, Health Commissioner for the Butler County General Health District (BCGHD).

With the goal of delivering better information about how the virus is spreading, the new system will allow local leaders and the public to make informed decisions and enable mitigation strategies. Based on seven data indicators ranging from new cases per capita to sustained increases in emergency room visits, the color-coded system ranks each county in Ohio as yellow (level 1), orange (level 2), red (level 3).



Bailer continues, “We are excited about the new Public Health Advisory Alerting System and its use in guiding decision-making based on facts and data. It uses not just one or two metrics or indicators, but seven to ten data points to advise. This is really helpful to communities and individuals! The color-coded system is easily understandable by both experts and the lay public alike and can be used by anyone to make decisions for themselves and their families as well as by businesses, schools, and corporations."

Average new daily cases, outpatient visits and the number of available intensive care unit (ICU) beds have doubled recently in Butler County, leading to the county meeting four of the seven indicators outlined in the alerting system.

Bailer says, “A deep dive into our data shows some particular situations that may be driving up our metrics including several outbreaks in facilities where people live close together, several outbreaks in families where a number of family members all became ill with COVID, as well as broader communitywide spread generally across the county. In addition, the ages of our cases have been going down. We are seeing more young adults (20-34 years) than ever before and there are more cases in the 0-20 year age group than we usually see.”

The Public Health Alert Advisory System will issue an update every week. BCGHD will display the colorcoded level on its website at www.bchealth.us.

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