Coronavirus: Daily cases continue to show signs of decrease in Ohio

Free walk-up coronavirus testing was available the old Greene County career technology Center near Xenia Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in partnership with Public Health Greene County. STAFF/MARSHALL GORBY

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Free walk-up coronavirus testing was available the old Greene County career technology Center near Xenia Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in partnership with Public Health Greene County. STAFF/MARSHALL GORBY

Ohio is still seeing signs that daily cases of coronavirus are declining in the state, with 1,723 reported on Wednesday.

While it’s an increase from Tuesday’s 1,560 daily cases, it is still fewer than the 21-day average of 1,815, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Wednesday also marks the 12th-straight day the state has recorded fewer than 2,000 daily cases.

Throughout the pandemic, Ohio has reported 1,068,985 total cases, according to ODH.

Daily hospitalizations are still up in the state. Ohio recorded 153 hospitalizations in the last day, bringing its total to 56,145.

In the last three weeks, the state averaged 115 hospitalizations a day.

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Gov. Mike DeWine noted on Tuesday that hospitalizations is a lagging indicator and hoped it would show signs of decreasing in the coming days.

Eleven ICU admissions were recorded Wednesday for a total of 7,860 in the state.

On Tuesday, DeWine announced that Ohioans who are fully-vaccinated no longer need to quarantine if they are exposed to COVID.

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they finish the vaccine.

“The power of the vaccine allows us to do this,” he said. “Fully vaccinated Ohioans, including high school students, will be able to participate in sports and other activities, even if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.”

Nursing home and long-term care facility staff and residents should still follow the CDC guidelines for quarantining if exposed to the virus.

While more Ohioans continue to be vaccinated against the virus, fewer people are seeking out the shots.

Nearly 21,000 people received their first dose in the last 24 hours in Ohio, according to the state department. DeWine has reported as many as 80,000 to 90,000 vaccinations a day previously.

“Some of this was inevitable as we now have 40% of the population who has been vaccinated,” the governor said Tuesday.

However, he still thinks Ohio is in good shape.

The state has nearly 2,000 vaccine providers and many sites now welcome walk-in appointments.

With the Johnson & Johnson vaccine available again, DeWine said the single-dose shot may still appeal to people who don’t want to worry about a second dose.

“Judging from what I’m hearing out in the field there are still some people who want that one dose,” he said.

As of Wednesday, more than 4,622,000 people in Ohio have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 3,639,000 have finished their inoculation.

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