COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Virus cases in Ohio hit a new record again Wednesday as the state grapples with a concerning uptick in virus-related hospitalizations and deaths, a day after its largest school district announced it would stick to remote learning until mid-January.
Daily reported cases of COVID-19 reached 2,366, surpassing the previous record of cases set Saturday by more than 130, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
While the number of daily hospitalizations saw a slight decrease, with 135, state data shows more than 1,250 Ohioans are currently hospitalized with the virus, including 345 in ICUs and 164 on ventilators.
The state had begun to see a significant decrease in daily cases up until the last two weeks when the cases increased by 67%. More than 5,100 Ohioans have reportedly died from virus-related complications, making the state’s death toll the 13th highest in the country overall, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Gov. Mike DeWine urged Ohioans to help curb the spread of the infection Tuesday by pleading with people to continue to wear masks so cases can drop and students can get back in the classroom.
“It concerns me that so many kids are going to school remotely. Some of our poorest children don’t always thrive in those types of learning environments,” DeWine said. “We owe it to these kids to fight back against this virus and reduce community spread.”