Ashtabula County’s COVID-19 numbers have fallen significantly from their recent high in May, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
A total of 21,411 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Ashtabula County since the start of the pandemic, according to ODH.
ODH reports a total of 1,256 COVID-19 hospitalizations and 432 COVID-19 deaths in Ashtabula County since the start of the pandemic.
Statewide, there have been 2.8 million COVID-19 cases, 118,756 hospitalizations and 38,778 deaths.
Nationally, there have been approximately 86.5 million COVID-19 cases, and more than one million deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Ashtabula County Health Commissioner Jay Becker said COVID-19 case numbers are flattening out.
Becker said in weekly calls with the state, questions about when COVID-19 will move from being a pandemic to an endemic come up a lot.
“That is going to come down from the CDC, and they’re not ready to make that announcement just yet,” Becker said.
Pandemics are global and widespread, while endemics are localized.
Case numbers need to fall further before COVID-19 could be considered an endemic, Becker said.
For the week ending in June 17, there were 51 new COVID-19 cases in the Ashtabula County Health Department’s jurisdiction.
That number is well above endemic diseases in the county, Becker said.
“We still need to bring those numbers down, we’re not there yet,” he said.
The Ashtabula County Heath Department continues to encourage people to get vaccinated and keep up to date with their vaccinations.
“Everyone still needs to be aware of their surroundings and how they’re feeling from day to day,” Becker said. People who have COVID-19 symptoms should wear a mask and consider getting tested.
“I would tell anybody have some tests in your linen closet so you can pull one out if you’re not feeling well, because that’ll give you a lot of information,” Becker said.
