More than 3,000 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Ohio as cases remain high

One in seven patients in Ohio have COVID-19, the Ohio Hospital Association reported Friday. The number of COVID patients in the state’s hospitals has increased 21% over the last week and 30% over the last three weeks. However, it’s an 18% decrease from 60 days ago.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the ICUs has increased 12% in the past week and 15% in the past three weeks, acceding to OHA. It’s a 22% decrease from 60 days ago. As of Friday, one in five ICU patients in Ohio have COVID.

In the last day Ohio recorded 349 hospitalizations and 28 ICU admissions. It’s the second highest number of daily COVID hospitalizations in the three weeks, according to ODH.

The state’s 21-day average is 201 hospitalizations and 20 ICU admissions a day.

Ohio reported more than 6,000 daily cases of coronavirus for the third consecutive day Friday. The state recorded 6,429 cases in the last day, the second-highest number of daily cases reported in the past three weeks.

Ohio is averaging 4,476 cases a day in the last three weeks and 5,329 cases in the last week.

ODH reported 250 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the state’s total to 26,063. Ohio updates death data twice a week. The data can fluctuate because other states don’t regularly report death certificates to Ohio’s Bureau of Vital Statistics

The day a death is reported does not reflect the day it occurred.

Nearly 57% of Ohioans have started the COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, including 67.74% of adults and 60.54% of residents 5 and older. More than 9.25% of kids ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

More than 52% of residents have completed the vaccine, including 63.29% of adults and 55.67% of Ohioans 5 and older.

The deadline for the first Vax-2-School drawing is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. The drawing is open to Ohioans ages 5 to 25 who have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Vax-2-School is a vaccine incentive program aim at increasing the number of younger Ohioans vaccinated against COVID. The state is giving away 150 $10,000 scholarships and five $100,000 scholarships to any Ohio college, university, trade school, technical program or career training program.

The first drawing is scheduled for 75 of the $10,000 scholarship winners is scheduled for Monday. To register, visit https://ohiovax2school.com/.

Those who do not win will automatically be register for the second drawing on Nov. 29. The grand prize drawing for the five $100,000 scholarships is scheduled for Dec. 2.