MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - Experts say Ohio is ahead of the game in combating COVID-19, but Biologist Dr. Ben Neuman says it's vital Ohioans continue to social distance, hand wash, and wear face coverings before the state out of the woods.

"It is the public measures. It is the things that people are doing that are lowering this number," Neuman said. "It's very important not to completely relax those precautions, or the virus can and certainly will come right back up again, as it has done in so many other states."

He said it's important to understand the virus has not weakened and it can still be transmitted widely. 

Health officials are studying what's called the R0 numbers, pronounced "R-Naught" or "R-Zero."

This number essentially shows how contagious a disease is without intervention, or in other words; how many people a single person would affect. For example, if the R0 number is two, a person who has the virus would spread it to two other people on average. 

Ohio saw the highest peak in March at 1.9. Right now, the state stands at less than one. The Mahoning Valley is in Region 5 and has the second-lowest R0 number in the state at .72

"It is good news right now that the R0 number is so low in Ohio," he said. "We want to keep that below one, which means eventually the virus is going to die out."

He said additional essentials to end the pandemic before a vaccine are to test, isolate, and contact trace. 

"Contact tracing has been the weak spot, at least in U.S. response to COVID- 19," Neuman said. "It's something that's improving; Its something that needs to improve in a lot of places."

As of today, Governor Mike DeWine expanded COVID-19 testing locations. Anyone can get tested; even if you're low risk, or asymptomatic.

"This is an important step and this is where we would have liked every state to be in," he said.

Mahoning County Medical Director, Dr. Jim Kravec, said The Valley is on the right track. 

"We are headed in the right direction," he said. "We are seeing less hospitalizations, however; there are some deaths."