Coronavirus: Over 45,000 new cases, 1,700 new hospitalizations reported last week

On Monday, hospital officials reported that the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital is doubling about every three weeks.

Ohio is seeing an “unprecedented” spike in coronavirus hospitalizations as cases continue to surge throughout the state said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, incoming Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer. 4,706 new cases and 154 hospitalizations were reported Monday. Seven people died of coronavirus, the state reported.

Dr. Robert Wyllie of the Cleveland Clinic said that more healthcare providers are catching the virus. As of Sunday, Nov. 15, eight percent of coronavirus cases are healthcare workers, with 25,117 reported cases.

“It’s not because they’re catching it in the hospital,” he said. “It’s because they’re catching it in the community, so we need everyone to double down.”

Wyllie stressed that now is not the time to give up. He asked that people re-evaluate and monitor their personal behavior.

On Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine did not host his usual press conference, citing the need to address the “critical state” Ohio reached in the pandemic. The state broke new case records by nearly 1,000, with 6,508 new cases on Tuesday, the first day the state has reported more than 6,000 new cases in one day.

The state also broke hospitalization records with 386 new hospitalizations reported. The state reported 23 new deaths on Tuesday.

The state’s previous record, 231, was set on Friday, Nov. 6. As of Tuesday, the state had reported a total of 261,482 total cases and 21,037 hospitalizations throughout the pandemic.

“Today’s data is alarming: Another 6,508 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in the last 24 hours,” he said Tuesday. “Another 386 people have been hospitalized. [Twenty-three] more people have died. Everyone must take this pandemic seriously. It’s up to all of us to stop this spread.”

While Ohio did not break case records Wednesday, more than 5,800 cases were reported. At the time, it was the second highest number of cases ever reported. Hospitalizations increased by 253 on Wednesday.

As of Wednesday, there were 787 coronavirus patients in hospitals, with 199 ICU patients and 98 on ventilators, according to the Ohio Department of Health. COVID-19 patients are filling about 11.26% of the region’s hospital beds, with 24.67%, or 1,724 beds, available. In the ICU, coronavirus patients accounted for 17.44% of the beds in southwest Ohio, with 212, or 1858% of the beds open.

Gov. DeWine issued a new, updated mask order on Wednesday and said he may have to close restaurants, bars and gyms as the spread of coronavirus grows.

Wednesday had the second-highest number of cases following Tuesday’s record-breaking hospitalizations and cases in Ohio’s battle against the coronavirus. If the virus surge doesn’t abate, DeWine said he “will be forced to close restaurants, bars and fitness centers.”

“We are now at the most crucial phase of this pandemic. We are in the midst of the third wave in Ohio,” DeWine said. “This surge is much more intense, widespread and dangerous.”

The issue of whether to shut down businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms will be visited one week from Thursday, he said. DeWine reissued Ohio’s mask order with three additions.

Thursday brought another record-shattering number of coronavirus cases, with 7,101 new cases reported. This was the first day that Ohio reported more than 7,000 cases in a day. Thursday also brought the second highest day for hospitalizations, with 268.

“At the rate we’re going, this is not sustainable,” DeWine said. “We’re going to have very bad consequences if this continues to go up at the rate it’s going.”

On Thursday, there were 3,024 COVID-19 patients in Ohio hospitals, nearly double the 1,621 reported on Oct. 30. In southwest Ohio, there were 826 coronavirus patients hospitalized, 206 in ICUs and 104 on ventilators.

Coronavirus patients account for 11.87% of the region’s hospital beds. Non-coronavirus patients are in 4,420 beds, or 63.51% Southwest Ohio has 1,713 hospital beds, 24.62%, open as of Thursday.

As the state once again broke its record for new COVID-19 cases reported in a day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Thursday the state will provide $30 million in aid to help local health departments and roll out two new health data dashboards.

The Ohio Department of Health reported more than 7,100 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, smashing the previous record of 6,508 set earlier this week. Tuesday was the first time the state recorded more than 6,000 daily cases. Montgomery County surpassed 15,000 total cases on Thursday.

Miami County was moved to the red risk level 3 on Thursday and was ranked number six for the highest occurring cases of coronavirus in a two-week period. From October 28 to Nov. 10, Miami County has had 620.6 cases per 100,000 population.

Records were shattered again on Friday when the state reported more than 8,000 cases for the first time. A total of 8,071 cases were reported, with 42 deaths and 298 new hospitalizations, the new second highest number of hospitalizations in a day in Ohio.

“We are facing a monumental crisis in Ohio,” Gov. Mike DeWine said Friday. “...It is up to everyone to slow this virus down. Protect your family and friends. Wear a mask.”

On Thursday the governor countered claims that cases were increasing due to the state expanding testing.

“Our testing has increased but our cases have spiked dramatically—almost four times the amount of our testing increase,” he said.

Ohio reported 7,715 new cases of coronavirus and 220 new hospitalizations on Saturday. Deaths increased by 14, raising the total number of deaths to 5,714. This is the third day in a row Ohio has reported over 7,000 new cases in a day.

A total of 290,243 cases and 22,076 hospitalizations have been reported by the state. The average number of new cases in a 21-day period has risen to 4,266. The hospitalization average currently sits at 194 people a day.

In late March, former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton urged people to “flatten the curve,” and was met with some skepticism when she warned the state could reach a devastating 6,000 to 8,000 cases per day if it stayed on the same path.