COVID cases, hospitalizations back at fall peak numbers in Ohio

“Sadly we continue to see an uptick in COVID19 cases and hospitalizations,” said ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff. “These numbers are comparable to what we were experiencing at the peak of our in the fall surge.”

Ohio is averaging 5,595 cases a day and 253 hospitalizations in the last three weeks, according to ODH.

The state had 3,916 COVID patients in its hospitals Thursday, with 988 in ICUs and 623 on ventilators. During the fall surge, Ohio peaked around 3,700 hospitalized COVID patients, according to Vanderhoff.

“The last time more Ohioans were being treated in the hospital for COVID was all the back on Jan. 12 when 4,000 patients were hospitalized across the state,” he said.

About one in six patients hospitalized in Ohio and one in four patients in the state’s ICUs are COVID positive, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. It’s a 17% increase in hospitals and 4% increase in ICUs over the last week respectively. Compared to 60 days ago, COVID is up 11% in Ohio’s hospitals and 4% in ICUs.

Ohio recorded 41 ICU admissions in the last day and is averaging 24 ICU admission a day in the past three weeks, according to ODH.

Currently, northern and Northeast Ohio are seeing the highest COVID incidence rates and hospitalizations, Vanderhoff said. In the last two weeks, Ohio is averaging 601.1 COVID cases per 100,000 residents, according to ODH. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a high incidence rate of COVID as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Locally, ODH is reporting the following incidence rates:

Preble, Montgomery and Green counties were among the 10 counties with the lower COVID incidence rate. Greene, Miami and Preble counties saw a slight decrease in their incidence rates when compared to last week.

The holiday could be part of the state’s increase in cases, Vanderhoff said, and it’s likely that Ohio will see more cases in the following days as people who were exposed to COVID begin to show symptoms. However, Ohio was already seeing an increase in COVID ahead of Thanksgiving.

The holiday could be part of the state’s increase in cases, Vanderhoff said, and it’s likely that Ohio will see more cases in the following days as people who were exposed to COVID begin to show symptoms. However, Ohio was already seeing an increase in COVID ahead of Thanksgiving.

“It comes on top of already a very large number of cases and a growing number of cases that we’ve been watching for a period of weeks,” he said. “No part of the state that is protected or immune from this impact.”

Ohioans need to continue to protect themselves from COVID by getting vaccinated or booster doses and by wearing face masks while in large groups.

More than 6.78 million residents have started the COVID-19 vaccine, accounting for 58.02% of the state’s population. More than 68.5% of adults and 61.67% of Ohioans ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to ODH.

Nearly 6.2 million people in Ohio, or 53.04% of residents, have finished the vaccine, including 63.82% of adults and 56.37% of those 5 and older.

More than 1.72 million Ohioans have received an additional dose of the vaccine, according to ODH. In the last day, 41,948 Ohioans have received an extra shot.