COVID cases, hospitalizations rise in Ohio

After a decrease in coronavirus hospitalizations and cases last Thursday, Ohio saw a slight increase in the past week.

The state recoded 18,247 cases and 549 hospitalizations in the last week, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Both are an increase from the 17,530 cases and 482 hospitalizations reported the previous week.

Last Thursday was the first time in nearly two months Ohio reported fewer cases than the previous week.

The 18,247 cases reported in the last week is fewer than the state’s three week average of 18,441 cases. Ohio is averaging 512 hospitalizations a week in the last three weeks, according to ODH.

As of Thursday there were 750 people with COVID hospitalized in the state, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. Fifty-two were in west central Ohio — which includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties — and 110 were in southwest Ohio, which consists of Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties.

COVID inpatients have increased by 45% in the last week in southwest Ohio and is up 43% compared to three weeks ago. In west central Ohio, the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals has climbed 4% in the past week and is up 16% in the last three weeks, according to OHA.

Of the 112 COVID patients in Ohio’s ICUs, five are in west central Ohio and 20 are in southwest Ohio.

It’s a 43% increase compared to last week and a 150% increase over the last three weeks for southwest Ohio, according to OHA. West central Ohio saw a 150% increase in the last week but a 17% drop compared to three weeks ago.

Ohio reported 35 coronavirus ICU admissions in the last week and is averaging 33 admissions in the last three weeks, according to the state health department.

More than 7.3 million people in Ohio have started the COVID vaccine and 6.81 million have finished it. Approximately 3.61 million people in the state have received a booster dose and 553,788 have gotten two boosters, according to ODH.

More than 62.75% of Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, including 66.77% ages 5 and older. About 58.3% of residents have completed the vaccination, including 61.99% of those 5 and older.

The state did not update COVID deaths on Thursday because the National Center for Health Statistics is implementing a new coding system. Death data will not be available on June 9 or June 16. Once the new coding system is operating, all deaths entered during the two-week pause will be coded with the appropriate cause of death.

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