Athens County is now at the “yellow,” or level one, alert level for coronavirus exposure and spread, according to the Ohio Department of Health’s Public Health Advisory System. Level one indicates active virus exposure and spread.
Athens County’s alert level was recently lowered from red to orange May 6, according to a previous Post report. Prior to then, the county had consistently been at the red, or level three, alert level since November 2020.
Level one counties meet one or fewer of the advisory system’s seven indicators. Athens currently meets the indicator proportion of cases not in congregate settings like long-term care facilities or jails. Residents are encouraged to follow local and state health orders.
The change comes as daily COVID-19 cases in Athens fall and vaccinations rise. Since May 13, four new coronavirus cases and one new death have been reported. So far, 11,115 Athens residents have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine through the Athens City-County Health Department, while 9,699 are fully vaccinated through the health department.
