Coronavirus In Ohio: 700 New Cases, 22 Deaths

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio saw a jump in confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

Health officials said 700 Ohioans tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours. Prior to Thursday, Ohio was averaging 438 new COVID-19 cases per day.

Part of the surge in cases could be attributed to 200 employees at a Dole plant in Springfield testing positive for COVID-19. Nearly a quarter of all employees at the plant have tested positive for the virus.

DeWine said Southwest Ohio, where the Dole plant is located has been a hot spot for COVID-19. The rest of Ohio, the governor said, has seen a steady decrease in new virus cases.

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"We can now test everybody, anyone who wants a test," DeWine said. He said pop-up testing sites will be held throughout Southwest Ohio in coming days and weeks. Testing sites will be placed in hot spots throughout the region within the next 10 days.

Future surges in COVID-19 cases should be expected in different parts of the state throughout the summer, DeWine said. Increased testing capacity should allow Ohio to better respond and manage these surges, the governor said.

Here are Thursday's other key COVID-19 numbers:

• New cases: 700
• New deaths: 22
• New hospitalizations: 53
• New intensive care admissions: 10