The county’s last record-breaking week was between the week of Oct. 23 and Oct. 30. During that time, the county recorded 298 confirmed COVID cases.
“We averaged 82 new cases per day. (Friday) they tell me that we had 97 cases that were confirmed positives and (Thursday) we had 148 new confirmed cases,” Patterson said. “It hasn’t been that long ago that we sat here, talking to the people of Clark County, that we had 148 for the week. And not the day.”
Patterson said the county also had 14 confirmed COVID-19 deaths so far this month, meaning at least one Clark County resident has died every day in November of the virus.
October was the county’s deadliest month for COVID-19, with 41 residents dying, but the county is currently on pace to beat that record as well.
“That’s bad news,” Patterson said.
Ohio also broke a record on Friday. The state recorded its highest daily case count for the second day in a row, reporting 8,071 cases between Thursday and Friday.
The prior record, from Thursday, was 7,101 cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The state has broken its daily case record three times in the last four days. Since Monday, Ohio has recorded 32,260 new cases.
“We are facing a monumental crisis in Ohio," Gov. Mike DeWine said. “It is up to everyone to slow this virus down. Protect your family and friends. Wear a mask.”
In total, Ohio had recorded 282,528 total cases and 5,700 deaths of the coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, according to ODH.
Because Clark County, and the state, are experiencing such a sharp spike in coronavirus cases, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to obtain a COVID-19 test, Patterson said, and testing sites are “being overwhelmed with the number of people who have been exposed.”
“I got multiple calls this week from testing sites saying ‘we’re getting killed, you guys need to do something.' In response to that, we immediately called the state and we have assistance coming in,” Patterson said.
Assistance will come in the form of an emergency relief pop-up testing clinic this weekend. The clinic will be hosted from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday in the Springfield High School parking lot located at 701 E. Home Rd.
“We are planning for up to 1,000 tests to be available for folks,” Patterson said. “We want to make sure we are taking the pressure off of our clinics because they are really being overrun.”
Clark County had a total of 3,915 cases,102 deaths and five probable deaths of the coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, according to ODH.
Facts & Figures:
573: Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Clark County between Nov. 6 and Friday, a record
298: The county’s previous record for weekly COVID-19 cases
14: Confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Clark County for the month of November
Source: Clark County Combined Health District
Next local pop-up clinic:
1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday in the parking lot of Springfield High School located at 701 E. Home Rd.
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