COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health has released an updated travel advisory map to include seven states where Ohioans are advised against visiting. The seven states included are reporting recent average positive testing rates of 15% or higher for COVID-19.
Based on a 7-day rolling average of positivity rates of Oct. 21, the affected states are:
- South Dakota: 35.7%
- Idaho: 29.5%
- Iowa: 21.2%
- Kansas: 19.4%
- Nebraska: 19.2%
- Alabama: 16.5%
- Utah: 16.1%
Three states— Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming- are shaded gray this week on the map. These states are showing multiple days in the past week without overall testing volume data, so an accurate positivity rate cannot be calculated.
As of Wednesday, the COVID-19 Tracking Project is updating their processes for pulling data from individual states, and multiple states are also in the process of changing how they calculate and report their own data. The ODH said the tracking project is still the most consistent source of state-level testing information.
The advisory is intended for both leisure and business travel, one that the department of health wants Ohioans and out-of-state travelers to follow.
If you have to self-quarantine, these are the following precautions you should take according to the ODH:
- If you live in a home with other people who did not travel with you, stay in a separate room. If this is not possible, wear a face mask when you are in the same room and stay at least six feet away from others.
- Remain at home and avoid all in-person activities. This includes work, grocery stores and pharmacies, public events, and public places.
- Do not leave home except to seek medical care. If you need to see a provider for reasons other than a medical emergency, please call in advance and discuss the care you need.
- In the event of a medical emergency, call 9-1-1. Indicate that you are in home quarantine for novel coronavirus exposure. Keep a face mask on until you are asked by a health care provider to remove it
- Do not have visitors in your home.
- Do not use public transportation, taxis, or ride-shares.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
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Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Ohio, a timeline of Governor Mike DeWine's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Northeast Ohio, and link to more information from the Ohio Department of Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the CDC and the WHO.
See data visualizations showing the impact of coronavirus in Ohio, including county-by-county maps, charts showing the spread of the disease, and more.
The CDC and the Ohio Department of Health are now recommending the use of cloth face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Read more about the CDC's recommendation here. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a face maskfrom common household materials, without having to know how to sew.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
