Ohio reports slight dip in COVID cases, hospitalizations

After weeks of climbing coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, Ohio reported a slight decrease.

The state added 27,785 COVID cases in the last week, about 2,000 fewer than the 29,876 cases reported last Thursday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. It’s the first time in more than a month that the state’s weekly case total decreased.

Hospitalizations and ICU admissions also dropped in the past week. Ohio recorded 679 hospitalizations last week compared to 705 hospitalizations the previous week. On Thursday ODH added 36 coronavirus ICU admissions, down from 39 admissions reported last Thursday.

However, deaths nearly doubled. The state recorded 98 COVID deaths in past week compared to 54 in the previous week, according to the state health department.

As of Thursday, there were 1,275 people hospitalized in the state who tested positive for COVID, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. That included 136 people in west central Ohio and 212 people in southwest Ohio.

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

In the last week southwest Ohio reported a 2% decrease in COVID inpatients. However, compared to 60 days ago, hospitalized coronavirus patients have increased by 106% in the region, according to OHA.

Patients hospitalized with the virus grew by 1% in the past week in west central Ohio, and is up 167% over the last 60 days.

Ohio had 166 ICU patients with the virus on Thursday, including 29 in southwest Ohio and 19 in west central Ohio.

It’s a 73% increase from last week in west central Ohio and an 850% increase from 60 days ago, according to OHA.

Southwest Ohio reported a 12% decrease in ICU patients with the virus over the last week, but an 81% increase compared to 60 days ago.

More than 7.41 million people in Ohio have started the COVID vaccine and nearly 6.88 million have completed it, according to ODH.

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