Coronavirus In Ohio: 8,828 New Positive Cases, 95 Deaths Thursday

COLUMBUS, OHIO — A day after Gov. Mike DeWine announced the schedule for the next phase of the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine, state health officials announced that more than 8,800 new Ohioans have tested positive for the virus and another 95 people have died.

At a time when positive cases and hospitalizations continue to surge statewide, Ohio’s total number of confirmed cases grew to 653,650 on Thursday after the Ohio Department of Health said that 8,828 people had tested positive over the past 24 hours. The 95 deaths took the state’s death toll to 8,456.

While Thursday’s announced deaths were higher than the state’s 21-day rolling average of 81, the number of new positive cases were nearly 1,000 lower than the three-week rolling average of 9,848.

DeWine announced Wednesday that as part of the next phase of the vaccine distribution, those residents 65 and older and those living with congenital, developmental or early-onset medical disorders will be in line to be vaccinated. According to state health officials, residents who are 65 and older make up just under 87 percent of coronavirus-related deaths.

DeWine also announced that people working in schools would also be among those next in line to be vaccinated as the governor pushes for schools to return to in-person learning.