More than 1,000 cases of COVID reported in Ohio for 4th day in a row

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Ohio reported more than 1,000 coronavirus cases for four consecutive days this week as health officials to work to slow the delta variant from spreading.

The Ohio Department of Health reported 1,183 COVID-19 cases Friday, which is nearly double the state’s 21-day average of 670 cases.

In the last week, Ohio averaged 983 cases a day.

As cases started to rise earlier this month, ODH Chief Medical Office Bruce Vanderhoff urged Ohioans to get vaccinated if they’re eligible as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread in the state.

“All signs point toward this increase of cases being the Delta variant, which is more contagious than the B.1.1.7 or alpha variant the proceeded it,” Vanderhoff said. “It simply takes less of this virus to spread from the mouth or the nose of an infected persons to that of another non-infected person.”

All three vaccines available in the U.S. offer protection from covid-19 and the delta variant.

Meanwhile, ODH is “strongly recommending’' masks for those who have not received the coronavirus vaccine as part of guidance for K-12 schools for the upcoming school year. That guidance does not include a mandate.

Gov. Mike DeWine said earlier this week that he does not believe there’s “an appetite” in the state for mandated masks in schools

Ohio reported two deaths Friday, bringing the state total to 20,492 since the pandemic began, according to the latest ODH data.

The day a death is reported does not reflect the day the death occurred. Death data can fluctuate because some states do not regularly report death certificate data to Ohio’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, the state has said.

Sixty-four hospitalizations were recorded in the last day, bringing Ohio’s total to 61,897. In the last three weeks, Ohio averaged 48 hospitalizations a day.

The state reported seven ICU admissions, slightly above its 21-day average of five.

As of Friday, nearly 49.25% of Ohioans have had at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to ODH.

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