Click here for the COVID-19 Stay at Home Health Advisory
SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO—On January 29, 2021, Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro and Summit County Health Commissioner Donna Skoda extended their Stay At Home Health Advisory, originally issued on November 19, 2020. The advisory now extends to February 28, 2021.
“For months, Summit County residents have made sacrifices to protect the health and safety of our families, friends, coworkers and neighbors, and there is no doubt these sacrifices have saved lives,” said Executive Shapiro. “We are all looking forward to the day we can get back to our normal lives and routines, but with just 1% of Ohio’s population fully vaccinated, we must continue to exercise caution and minimize our risk.”
The advisory urges all residents to stay at home to the greatest extent possible due to limited vaccine availability and the emergence of new, more contagious COVID-19 strains discovered in Ohio and the United States. Residents should only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up food, or receiving deliveries.
“Continuing to stay home as much as possible is the best way to keep COVID-19 cases in a downward trend. We saw what happened when we let our guard down this past fall—cases and hospitalizations surged,” said Commissioner Skoda. “We have to all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community—wear a mask and limit activity outside your home—until everyone who wants a vaccine can get one.”
Much like an advisory issued upon an impending weather event, this advisory is based on best practices identified by experts. While not a legally enforceable order, the advisory was issued in hopes of protecting the greatest number of residents in the community. The orders of the Governor and the State Health Director remain in place in Summit County.
Earlier this week, Summit County Public Health and Summit County Emergency Management Agency hosted a COVID-19 Vaccine Q & A. Commissioner Skoda and EMA Director Thomas Smoot answered a number of questions about vaccine appointments, availability and expectation for the future. A recording is available at https://co.summitoh.net/pages/Jan-28-2021-SCPH-and-EMA-Vaccine-Q-A.html.