Ohio could drop below lowest COVID-19 cases in a year – NBC4 WCMH-TV

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health reported 3,372 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, nearing a previous 2022 record.

The case rate is in its seventh week of decline, as the state reported just 5,165 — the previous lowest record for 2023 — the week prior. At the beginning of March, Ohio was nearing 10,000 weekly COVID-19 infections before falling back down. Ohio is now on the verge of surpassing the lowest case count of 2022. The state reported just 3,103 cases in a week in March of that year.

ODH has been reporting COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations weekly instead of daily since new infections slowed after the omicron wave. Over the past seven days, the state averaged around 482 new coronavirus cases per day.

The 241 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days — about 34 per day — decreased from the 288 reported last week, and the 353 hospitalizations in the week prior.

COVID-19 deaths increased alongside hospitalizations. ODH said 53 people died from the virus, going above the 46 deaths the previous week but remaining barely below the 54 reported two weeks before.

The number of Ohioans getting their first shot and completing COVID-19 vaccinations both decreased over the past week. Compared to 1,165 in the week before, 1,124 started the vaccine process. Another 1,239 finished vaccination by getting their second dose, down from 3,249. Around six in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.