Ohio Sets New Coronavirus Case Record For Second Straight Day

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Just 24 hours after Gov. Mike DeWine called on a newly created COVID defense team to begin investigating ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus at the local level, the state’s fight against the virus continues to worsen in record numbers.

For the second straight day, Ohio set a new pandemic mark for daily cases as an additional 3,845 new positive cases were announced by state health officials on Friday. The new collection of cases is nearly 300 more than on Thursday when the state surpassed 3,000 new confirmed cases for the first time with 3,590. It is also almost 1,000 cases higher than the new state record that was established last weekend.

The state has now recorded a total 212,782 since mid-March and the virus that state officials believed would stay below 1,000 cases a day at the start of October is now three times that number as November approaches.

Friday’s numbers included another 16 deaths, which takes the statewide total to 5,291 since the pandemic began. Now, a week than saw Ohio surpass 200,000 cases, has ended with three record-setting days as the numbers continue to trend in the wrong direction.

On Thursday, DeWine said despite the data that included more than 700 more confirmed cases than the previous high set last weekend, he remained optimistic that residents across Ohio would continue to persevere.

“Ohioans have the tools, we know what works and we always rally when we need to rally,” said Thursday. “I'm confident people will do that. When people see a threat, particularly to their families and neighbors, to their community, they come together. We can indeed slow down this invader.

"We can control our own destiny."

Hospitalizations also continue to trend upward and established a new single-day record with 1,629 people being listed as using hospital beds, according to health department data. Of those in hospitals, 427 were listed in intensive care and 226 require ventilators.