COVID cases drop for 4th straight week in Ohio

Coronavirus cases decreased for the fourth consecutive week in Ohio, with hospitalizations also declining in the previous week.

Th state recorded 23,436 cases in the past week, down from the 24,067 cases reported the previous week, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Following a slow, but steady climb of COVID-19 cases earlier this summer, they have continued drop since July 28 when Ohio reached 29,876 weekly cases.

Hospitalizations also decreased in the past week. The state reported 604 hospital admissions in the last week compared to 665 hospitalizations the previous week, according to the state health department.

As of Thursday, there were 1,242 people in Ohio hospitalized with COVID, including 106 patients in west central Ohio and 183 in southwest Ohio, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.

For Southwest Ohio, which includes Butler, Warren, Hamilton, Adams, Brown, Clermont and Clinton counties, it’s a 2% decrease from coronavirus inpatients compared to last week and a 71% increase from 60 days ago.

West central Ohio reported a 31% increase over the last week and 39% increase in the past 60 days, according to OHA. Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Shelby counties make up west central Ohio.

The state had 205 ICU patients with the virus on Thursday, according to OHA. Six of those patients were in west central Ohio, which is a 33% decrease from a week ago and a 14% decrease from 60 days ago.

Southwest Ohio had 31 COVID patients in the ICU. It’s the same amount as a week ago, but a 107% increase from 60 days ago, according to OHA.

In the past week, ODH recorded 36 ICU admissions, the same as reported the previous week.

Ohio added 96 COVID deaths in the last week, bringing its total to 39,406, according to the state health department.

More than 7.44 million people in Ohio — or 63.67% of the state’s population — have started the coronavirus vaccine as of Thursday. About 6.89 million residents, or 59% of Ohio’s population, have completed the vaccination.