COVID-19 cases in Ohio are reaching record-high numbers and the Cincinnati area is no exception. Officials say Cincinnati saw an all-time high of 247 cases Saturday and nearby Clermont County reported a high of 186 cases Friday.
Mayor John Cranley said excitement and herd immunity may have caused people to slowly drop their guard about the dangers of the virus. But he and health officials said now is the time to keep adhering to the safety procedures that have been in place for months.
"And that's kind of where we are now, where the end is clear but there's an enormous amount of danger between now and then," Cranley said during a news conference Monday. "And when you think about all the things we've been through this year, the caseload is much higher and growing much faster across the country than any time in the past."
Across the state of Ohio, a record 8,071 confirmed and proable cases were reported Friday. The numbers came a day after a
Gov. Mike DeWine and said bars, restaurants, and gyms would be forced to close if numbers continue to skyrocket.
"Hospitals have told me that at the rate we're going, this is not sustainable. Just look at how much (cases are) jumping every single day. It's not an option. We have to take action," he said.
Health Commissioner Melba Moore said local hospitals are also reporting strain under new reported cases, where COVID patients average about five days in the hospital.
"We heard from the hospitals on Friday. They rang a bell, they're sounding the alarm. The more cases in impact the number of health care workers in that setting," she said. "We can do this, Cincinnati. We have to work together."
In May,was arranged to accommodate up to 500 people in case hospitals were overwhelmed with patients. It was never used and will likely not be reassembled soon.
"I'm happy to report that as bad as the numbers are, we don't believe that's necessary at this time," Cranley said. "We think we're a long way from that being necessary."
Last week, and the cancellation of several public meetings this month. During this time, he's urging any City Hall employee who can work from home to do so while extra safety measures, such as air purifiers and plastic dividers, are added to the building.
"So we want to lead by example with encouraging people to do as much remote work as they can," he said. "This is a critical time when we're both excited about the light at the end of the tunnel but the danger between here and there."
Several WVXU reporters contributed to this article.
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