Key COVID metric tied to Ohio mask mandate decreases for third straight week

Crowds line up for antibody testing at UD Arena. The COVID-19 lgG test helps people determine if they had COVID-19 infection. MARSHALL  GORBY/STAFF

Crowds line up for antibody testing at UD Arena. The COVID-19 lgG test helps people determine if they had COVID-19 infection. MARSHALL GORBY/STAFF

A key COVID metric that will determine when Ohio can lift its public health mandates decreased for the third straight week on Thursday, and state health officials said one pandemic measurement is at its lowest level in six months.

Ohio reported 140.2 cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks, according to the Ohio Department of Health. This is down from the 155.6 cases reported last Thursday and the 185.8 cases reported two weeks ago.

If the state reports fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people for two straight weeks, all public health orders, including the mask mandate, will be lifted, Gov. Mike DeWine has said.

“The current case rate of 140.2 is now slightly lower than it was in mid-March 2021 before cases briefly rebounded,” read a statement from the health department. “Compared to the entire span of the pandemic, the current case rate is now the lowest it has been since mid-October 2020.”

The number of COVID patients hospitalized in Ohio dropped to its lowest number in two weeks with 1,073 patients reported on Thursday. On April 23, the stated reported 1,249 hospitalized COVID patients, according to the state health department.

ajc.com

icon to expand image

Ohio reported 127 daily hospitalizations Thursday, a slight decrease from the 145 hospitalizations reported on Wednesday.

Fifteen ICU admissions have been recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the state’s total to 7,889 during the pandemic.

In the last 21 days, Ohio is average 118 hospitalizations a day and 14 ICU admissions.

More than 4 million people have completed the coronavirus vaccines as of Thursday in Ohio.

Nearly 41% of Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 34.25% have finished it.

As of Thursday, 4,786,481 people in Ohio have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine and 4,004,082 have completed the inoculation.

Ohio reported 1,387 daily cases of COVID Thursday, for a total of 1,080,121.

Over the last 21 days, the state is averaging 1,524 cases a day. The numbers are an improvement from about 2,000 cases a day nearly a month ago when officials feared spring break travel and virus variants could cause problems for Ohio.

About the Author