Ohio Coronavirus Spike Continues, 892 New Cases Confirmed

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio's surge of new COVID-19 cases continued on Thursday.

Health officials confirmed 892 positive cases of COVID-19 statewide over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day total in months. Gov. Mike DeWine said this is nearly the highest single-day increase in new cases since the pandemic began.

The governor said while testing has increased statewide, he does not believe that accounts for the spike in new COVID-19 cases. DeWine said there are trends statewide that are going in the wrong direction.

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"Today's case numbers are showing a big increase. Almost 60% of cases are in the 20- to 49-year-old range. We have increased testing, but we do not believe this increase in cases is completely due to testing. Hospitalizations are also up," DeWine said during a news conference on Thursday.

Seventeen people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the Ohio Department of Health confirmed. At least 55 people were hospitalized during that same time span. Eleven Ohioans were admitted to intensive care for treatment due to the virus.

Dr. Richard Lofgren, from University of Cincinnati, said southwest Ohio is seeing an increase in hospitalizations related to COVID-19. He said the rate of spread for the virus has also increased. Lofgren said young people are largely driving the increase in new cases.

"This uptick reminds us of the importance of safety measures. This virus continues to live in our communities, but we can safely live with it if we are vigilant and understand the importance of social distancing, universal use of masks, washing hands, and sanitizing," Lofgren said during Thursday's news conference.

Lofgren said the surge in new cases is not solely the result of increased testing. Rather, he said, we're seeing increased virus spread in Ohio. He also said some patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have lost 20 to 30 percent of their lung function.

Here's how many COVID-19 cases the state has confirmed per day this week:

• Sunday — 546
• Monday — 729
• Tuesday — 590
• Wednesday — 632
• Thursday — 892

Franklin, Cuyahoga and Hamilton counties continue to lead Ohio in total confirmed COVID-19 cases, though southwest Ohio has seen a surge in the spread of the virus over the past 10 days.