Cuyahoga County still yellow, but Lorain, Medina, Summit, Portage now green for low COVID-19 spread: CDC map

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County remained classified yellow for medium COVID-19 concern, but four Greater Cleveland counties were classified green for low COVID-19 spread on the latest U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map.

Lorain County, which was previously designated yellow, for moderate COVID-19 spread, joined Medina, Portage and Summit counties in the green classification this week.

Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties were classified as yellow this week.

Nearby Erie and Huron counties were classified green, and nearby Mahoning and Trumbull counties were designated yellow.

People who live in yellow-designated counties, and are at risk for severe COVID-19, should ask their healthcare provider whether they should wear masks or take other precautions, according to the CDC.

The CDC map was updated late Thursday.

Across Ohio, Lawrence County at the southern tip of the state was the only Ohio county classified red. It was the second week in a row that Lawrence County was Ohio’s only red county.

In addition, 20 Ohio counties were designated yellow and 67 were designated green for low COVID-19 spread. It was the highest number of Ohio counties designated green that the state has seen since mid-October.

Last week, the state-wide tally was one county classified red, 33 counties designated yellow and 54 green.

People in red counties with high transmission are advised by the CDC to wear masks indoors. Counties are considered to have high transmission levels when community coronavirus circulation could overwhelm local hospitals.

Counties are classified as low (green), medium (yellow) or high (red) under the CDC’s system for estimating the risk of COVID-19 infection.

The CDC color-coded designations were introduced on Feb. 25. In early March 2022, all of Ohio’s counties were green or yellow; none were red. In late August, a majority of Ohio’s counties were red.

Jan. 26 Northern Ohio county designations

Ashtabula County: Yellow (medium transmission)

Cuyahoga County: Yellow (medium transmission)

Geauga County: Yellow (medium transmission)

Lake County: Yellow (medium transmission)

Lorain County: Green (low transmission)

Medina County: Green (low transmission)

Portage County: Green (low transmission)

Summit County: Green (low transmission)

Jan. 19 Northern Ohio county designations