As the state’s seventh-largest county, Butler County ranks 10th in number of coronavirus deaths, according to Ohio Department of Health data.
However, experts are watching death totals for the coming weeks, as a rise in deaths follows a rise in hospitalizations. Butler County’s new weekly hospitalizations peaked in the week ending Oct. 31, when 41 happened. The county has averaged 18 new hospitalizations per week since the pandemic began, and there were 17 the week ending Dec. 5.
Butler County has averaged 4.2 deaths per week during the 36 weeks since the first death happened. On March 31, city of Hamilton officials reported the county’s first death, an 86-year-old man. At the time, the county had 31 total confirmed cases.
Case numbers in the county have continued a steady rise. A new weekly record for cases has been set in five consecutive weeks, the latest coming with 2,349 new cases in the week ending Dec. 5. There has been an increase in each of the past 12 seeks, since 360 cases were reported the week ending Sept. 19.
The latest case record is 6.5 times that number from mid-September.
Ohio has recorded 7,477 deaths from COVID-19 through Saturday, and the steady rise in cases throughout the state has caused multiple actions by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Those recently included the extension of a statewide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Jan. 2.
With the state expected to receive its first batch of the coronavirus vaccine in the next week, DeWine said it’s important that Ohioans continue to follow health guidelines to avoid overwhelming hospitals before the state can start distributing the vaccine.
“These are steps that are sensible steps that we can all follow and will allow us to still live our lives,” he said, “This is about living with this virus and living with it in a safe way.”
The state is closely watching deaths at nursing homes and long-term care facilities, which have been climbing in November and into December. Since April 15, when the state started specifically tracking long-term care deaths, 3,706 long-term care residents have died. In total, 7,298 Ohioans have died from COVID.
“Our organization has asked Ohioans to take extra precautions and find creative alternatives to traditional holiday gatherings, and do what they can to take this pressure off of the workforce and long term care,” said Patrick Schwartz, spokesman for LeadingAge Ohio, which represents nonprofit nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other long-term care providers.
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