Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that Athens County is one of the newest Ohio counties to be added to the list of those exceeding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s threshold for high COVID-19 incidence.
Athens county was the third highest on the list, with a rate of 192.9 COVID-19 cases per every 100,000 individuals.
There are 21 total counties meeting the CDC threshold. Athens is one of five new counties to be added.
“A reminder that this number is important because it means that cases are rising steadily in a county,” DeWine said in a tweet. “Having high case numbers increases the chances of the virus spreading throughout the community if steps aren’t taken to slow the spread.”
Between Sept. 2 and 15, Athens County had 126 new COVID-19 cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The county currently has 569 total confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases. Of those cases, 115 are active.
Athens County is also a level 2 — or orange county — on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System.
