Gov. Mike DeWine expressed concerns recently about Ohio’s cases and hospitalizations trending upward. The state’s 21-day average of daily cases briefly dropped below 1,000 in September, only to go back up. Currently the 21-day average is 1,057 cases per day.
Hospitalizations are a lagging indicator, DeWine said, meaning the data is often reported days after a person is admitted into the hospital.
As of Wednesday, 16,091 hospitalizations have been reported in Ohio during the pandemic. ICU admissions increased by 17 for a total of 3,384 since the outbreak began.
There were 23 deaths reported Wednesday, bringing the total in Ohio to 4,970.
On Tuesday, DeWine said that he’s asked him team to consult health officials after school superintendents addressed concerns about the number of students having to quarantine after meeting the CDC’s definition of close contact to someone who tested positive.
“We have heard anecdotally that most quarantined students are not getting sick,” he said. “I feel that it is important to have data and evidence on this before we make a change to the recommended guidance.”
The governor said that more information will be released as updates are reported.
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