Meanwhile, the southwest region of the state (Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland and Warren counties) reported 891 patients.
Statewide, hospitalizations remain high at 6,541 COVID patients, with 1,318 of those in intensive care units. One in three patients in Ohio hospitals are COVID-19 positive.
The Ohio Department of Health reported 19,089 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, which brings the 21-day case average to 16,290.
Unvaccinated Ohioans are driving hospitalizations. At Kettering Health and Premier Health hospitals last week, 89% of COVID patients in the ICU were unvaccinated, according to the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association.
Dayton-area hospital authorities have begged residents to get vaccinated to prevent serious illness and reduce the burden on the health care system. This week, Kettering Health and Premier Health announced that their hospital networks would postpone all nonemergency procedures and surgeries requiring an overnight stay due to the strain of the pandemic.
As of Sunday, 60.37% of Ohioans have at least started the COVID-19 vaccine, including 70.54% of adults and 64.16% of those 5 and older. Of all Ohioans, 55.48% have completed the vaccine series.
More than 2.92 million Ohioans have received a booster vaccine dose.
The state updates mortality data twice each week as records are received. Earlier this week, ODH reported that Ohio had surpassed 30,000 deaths over the course of the pandemic. Only 729 of those deaths were among fully vaccinated residents.
Of the 53,819 Ohioans hospitalized for COVID-19 since Jan. 1, 2021, 2,991 patients were fully vaccinated.
If you have struggled to access medical care in recent weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic straining the health care system, email jordan.laird@coxinc.com or fill out the survey below.
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