COVID hospitalizations continue to drop, cases steady in Ohio

While COVID-19 hospitalizations are continuing to drop in Ohio, cases appear to have plateaued in the state.

In the last week, Ohio recorded 3,828 cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health. It’s three-week average is 3,533 cases a week.

Since moving to weekly updates on March 17, Ohio has consistently reported around 3,500 cases each week. The 3,828 cases was the highest weekly total reported in the last four weeks, with the 3,103 cases reported on March 31 the fewest.

Hospitalizations are still declining in the state, but at a slower pace since coming out of the omicron surge this winter.

There were 307 total COVID patients hospitalized in Ohio Thursday, with 67 in southwest Ohio and 10 in west central Ohio, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

West central Ohio includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties and southwest Ohio consists of Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties.

Southwest Ohio reported a 6% decrease in the number of coronavirus patients hospitalized in the region over the last week and an 89% decrease in the last three weeks.

As for west central Ohio, it’s seen a 9% decline in hospital patients with the virus in the past week and a 98% drop over the last three weeks.

The trend is similar for coronavirus patients in the ICU. Statewide, there’s 51 COVID patients in the ICU as of Thursday, with 15 in southwest Ohio and two in west central Ohio.

It’s a 100% increase in the last week for west central Ohio — which reported zero ICU patients with COVID last week — and a 97% decrease over the last three weeks, according to OHA.

The number of COVID ICU patients has dropped 12% in southwest Ohio in the last week and decreased by 90% in the past three weeks.

Ohio recorded 126 coronavirus deaths in the last week, according to the state health department. It’s the fewest number of deaths reported in the last three weeks.

The state’s three-week average is 186 deaths a week.

More than 62.25% of Ohioans have started the coronavirus vaccine, including 72.38% of adults and 66.26% of those 5 and older. Approximately 57.8% of residents have finished the vaccine, including 67.28% of adults and 61.42% of people ages 5 and older, according to ODH.

Nearly 7.29 million people in Ohio have received at least on dose of the vaccine and 6.75 million have completed it. More than 3.48 million people in the state have received a booster or additional vaccine dose.

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