Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton estimates at least 1% of people in the state have the coronavirus, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
"We know now, just the fact of community spread, says that at least 1%, at the very least, 1% of our population is carrying this virus in Ohio today," Acton said. "We have 11.7 million people. So, the math is over 100,000. So that just gives you a sense of how this virus spreads and is spreading quickly."
Ohio reported its first three cases of coronavirus Monday and said it had five confirmed cases by Thursday. Cases are expected to double every six days.
"Whenever you know of 2 people that have it due to community spread, then you can assume that 1% of your population has it," said ODH Press Secretary Melanie Amato, citing a 2017 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the CDC.
There are 52 people under investigation for COVID-10, meaning they have exhibited symptoms and are awaiting test results, per the Columbus Dispatch.
Acton and DeWine on Thursday signed an order banning the gathering of 100 or more people in a single room or single space.
The order does not apply to "typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories, or retail or grocery stores where large groups of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within an arm’s length of one another," according to DeWine.
"Our delay in being able to test has delayed our understanding of the spread of this," Acton said.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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