In the past three weeks, Ohio is averaging 20,176 COVID cases a week.
The state health department also reported 550 new COVID hospitalizations and 39 new ICU admissions in the past week. Both of those numbers were roughly 34% increases over the previous week.
In total, just over a thousand people hospitalized in Ohio were COVID positive as of Thursday, including 95 in west central Ohio and 164 in southwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.
For west central Ohio, which includes Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties, it’s a 13% increase in coronavirus inpatients over the last week and a 179% increase compared to 60 days ago.
Southwest Ohio recorded a 27% increase in hospitalized patients with the virus over the past week and a 128% increase in the last 60 days, according to OHA. Southwest Ohio consists of Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties.
ICUs are also seeing more patients who have tested positive for COVID.
Statewide, there were 141 ICU patients with the virus as of Thursday, with 21 in southwest Ohio and 12 in west central. The southwest Oho numbers are up 11% from last week and 91% from 60 days ago. The west central Ohio ICU numbers are up 9% this week and up 200% from 60 days ago.
ODH reported 39 Ohio COVID deaths in Thursday’s data.
While cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions have continued to climb the past three months, they are a fraction of what Ohio reported during previous peaks, including the delta and omicron surges.
Greene County is one of five Ohio counties with a high community level of coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recommends people in counties with a high transmission risk to wear a mask indoors while in public and to stay up to date with coronavirus vaccines. Greene County Public Health also encouraged residents to wash hands frequently and social distance when possible.
Darke, Montgomery, Preble and Warren counties have a medium transmission risk and Butler, Champaign Clark and Miami counties has a low risk, according to the CDC.
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