Ohio Breaks COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Record

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio set records for most COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on Friday.

In the past 24 hours, Ohio has confirmed 5,008 new COVID-19 cases. The state had never before recorded 5,000 cases in a single day.

"The increase we're seeing is not because we're testing more - it's because this virus is spreading more. It's up to all of us to help push this virus down," Gov. Mike DeWine said on Twitter.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, 231 Ohioans also entered hospitals for COVID-19 treatment on Friday. That's another record, and well above the state's average of 159 coronavirus hospitalizations per day.

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Ohio's new COVID-19 surge is not emerging from a single geographic location in the state, but from the state as a whole. According to the state's color-coded warning system, 86 percent of Ohioans now live in a county considered "red" for its COVID-19 spread.

Additionally, all 88 of Ohio's counties are considered "high incidence" by CDC standards, meaning the virus is spreading rapidly through those areas.

Here are all of Friday's COVID-19 numbers in Ohio:

• New cases: 5,008
• New deaths: 33
• New hospitalizations: 231
• New ICU admissions: 22

More reading:

• New Top Leaders Named At Ohio Department Of Health
• Here's Which Ohioans Will Get The Coronavirus Vaccine First
• Why State Mask Stockpiling Orders Are Hurting Nursing Homes, Small Providers