Trumbull is one of only seven counties in Ohio to reach the second-highest level for being a high-risk area for COVID-19 under a new system developed by state health officials.

However, the designation doesn’t come with any additional restrictions or ramifications.

Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled the Ohio Public Health Advisory System on Thursday as a way to warn people about COVID-19 problems throughout the state.

There are four levels, with purple being the highest. Franklin County (Columbus) is approaching level 4, but hasn’t reached it. Even if it does, DeWine didn’t say there would be any consequences.

Trumbull is at level 3 (red) meaning there is “very high exposure and spread,” DeWine said.

“In addition to multiple outbreaks in congregate settings, Trumbull County also currently has an outbreak in a health care facility,” he said but did not elaborate.

DeWine said the state is working with Trumbull County officials in an effort to lower its level.

To reach level 3, a county has to have four or five of seven total indicators.

Those indicators are:

An average of at least 50 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period;

A sustained increase of new cases for five straight days;

More than 50 percent of new cases originated from non-congregate settings during at least one of the past three weeks;

A sustained increase in emergency room visits over a five-day period;

An increase in outpatient hospitalization visits over a five-day period;

Growth in the number of county residents admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 over a five-day period;

The intensive care unit occupancy rate goes above 80 percent for three of the last seven days.

Trumbull met the first, third, fourth and fifth indicators, DeWine said.

The county had 902 reported cases Thursday, up 24 from Wednesday, according to its combined health district.

During the past two weeks, it has experienced a 33.6 percent increase in reported cases.

Trumbull also had a reported COVID-19 fatality Thursday. It has 69 in total, including nine since Sunday — a 15 percent increase in just five days.

Frank Migliozzi, the county’s health commissioner, said people “should limit their activities as much as possible, avoid large gatherings, practice social distancing, stay home when ill, keep their hands clean and sanitized, avoid touching their face, keep high touch areas clean and sanitized and wear facial coverings when out in public.”

Mahoning County was in level 2 (orange), meaning it has two or three of the indicators. There were 28 counties at that level.

The county reported 1,774 cases Thursday, up 22 from Wednesday, according to its public health district. That was the largest daily increase in Mahoning County since June 11 when there were 33 newly reported cases.

It’s had a 10.4 percent increase in reported cases during the past two weeks.

Columbiana County was in the lowest level (yellow), meaning it had none or one indicator. Overall, 53 counties in Ohio were at this level.

The county’s health district reported 1,228 cases Thursday, up 10 from a day earlier.

While it has many more cases than Trumbull — and about half of Trumbull’s population — a majority of Columbiana County’s cases are inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution at Elkton or long-term care facilities.

It’s had a 33.1 percent increase in reported cases during the past two weeks with its county health district saying nearly all are at the prison or in long-term care facilities.

Some cities, including Columbus and Dayton, are requiring face masks after seeing recent spikes in cases.

But DeWine reiterated Thursday that mandating face masks statewide is “not our intent.”

This came on the same day that 1,301 new cases were reported — the fourth-most ever during the pandemic and the second day in a row to exceed 1,000.

Only April 19 with 1,380 and April 20 with 1,317 reported more cases on a day than Thursday. Those April figures came when the state stepped up testing at prisons.

On Wednesday, the state reported 1,076 new cases.

Through the first five days of this week, there were 4,711 new cases reported. The most ever reported in the state for a full week was last week with 4,391 cases.

The data arrived late Thursday because the Ohio Department of Health’s “data reporting system” was down, said Dan Tierney, DeWine’s spokesman. It was posted about 5:30 p.m. It generally is listed on the department’s website around 2 p.m. daily.

The state had 54,166 total cases as of Thursday.

There were also 2,903 deaths reported statewide Thursday, an increase of 17 from the prior day.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com