This is the third time Ohio has had fewer than 5,000 cases a day this week, with 4,312 cases reported Monday and 4,989 on Tuesday.
Throughout the pandemic 853,982 total cases have been recorded in Ohio.
Hospitalizations also dropped Friday, with 204 reported compared to 306 on Thursday and 404 on Wednesday.
Ohio recorded 3,270 hospitalized coronavirus patients, the lowest number in two weeks and the fifth straight day patient counts decreased, according to ODH.
The trend continued in southwest Ohio, which had 923 hospitalized COVID-19 patients Friday, another record low for the last two weeks.
Patients in the ICU and on ventilators have also decreased in the region over the last two weeks.
On Jan. 9, southwest Ohio reported 269 coronavirus patients in ICUs and 224 on ventilators compared to 238 patients in ICUs and189 on ventilators on Friday.
Statewide, Ohio has recorded 44,519 total hospitalizations and 6,485 total ICU admissions related to the pandemic.
Deaths were slightly above the state’s 21-day average of 78 with 81 reported Friday. There have been 10,599 total deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Ohio during the pandemic, according to ODH.
On Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that a statewide curfew scheduled to expire Saturday will be extended. Details about how long it will be extended or if it will remain from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. were not released.
The governor cited a new variant found in Ohio as well as a high number of cases and hospitalizations as reasons behind extending the curfew.
While the state appears to see a drop in cases and hospitalizations since a surge in November, DeWine still wants to see Ohio’s numbers drop more.
“We’re not there yet and as governor I have to try to keep this virus down as we get vaccines out as quickly as we can,” he said.
Beginning Monday, Ohio will open coronavirus vaccines to people ages 75 and older.
So far, 535,086 people have received their first dose of the vaccine in Ohio.
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