Ohio hits 2.5 million COVID cases, area hospitalizations still high

Area hospitals continue to see a high number of coronavirus cases even as Ohio’s overall hospitalizations and new cases decline.

Despite the decline in new cases, the Buckeye State topped 2.5 million cases for the entirety of the pandemic.

Hospitals in western and southern Ohio, which include those in Dayton, Springfield and Butler counties, reported 1,585 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 on Sunday. That is up 26 cases from one day earlier.

The Ohio National Guard on Thursday sent additional supplies and 400 more service members to help with the ongoing coronavirus situation in the region.

More than 5,000 patients hospitalized in Ohio have COVID-19, according to Ohio Hospital Association census data released Sunday.

The 5,348 hospitalized inpatients Sunday continued the state’s overall decline. On Wednesday, for the first time in more than two weeks, that figure dropped below 6,000 patients.

Sunday’s number includes 1,072 patients who are in ICUs statewide who have COVID-19, the OHA reported.

In hospitals in southwest and western Ohio, one in three patients have COVID-19, and one in three people in ICUs have COVID.

The 9,932 new cases reported by the Ohio Department of Health on Sunday brought the total to 2,506,175 coronavirus cases.

Ohio has totaled 104,759 patients hospitalized with coronavirus throughout the pandemic, including 74 new patients in the last 24 hours, The 21-day average of coronavirus hospitalizations is 387.

As of Sunday, 61% of adults have started a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the coronavirus dashboard. For those 5 and older, 64.91% have started the vaccine. Those 12 and older have a rate of 69.05%, and those 18 and older have a rate of 71.15%.

The rate for adults who have completed their vaccine is 56%. For those 5 and older, 59.57% have finished. Those 12 and older have a finished vaccination rate of 63.74%, and those 18 and older have a rate of 65.76%.

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