Ohio has recorded its second-highest number of confirmed deaths from COVID-19, and the third day in a week of death totals in triple digits.
Hospitalization and intensive care unit patients dropped slightly, but COVID patients on ventilators hit another record.
Second day of double-digit confirmed COVID deaths in Ohio:
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) December 2, 2020
6,224 confirmed deaths: 113 new; 102 reported yesterday
6,671 total deaths; 447 probables
414,215 confirmed cases: 7,435 new; 8,409 new yesterday
437,928 total cases; 23,713 probables
*Note: 1000s reports pending review
There were more than 7,400 confirmed cases – a month ago, there were just over 2,700. Thousands of reports are still listed as "pending".
In his briefing Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine warned that there’s no indication that the state has hit a plateau.
"There’s a two- to three-week lag before a case, they test positive and when they might be going into the hospital, when they might be going into an ICU," DeWine said. "So we know that what’s going to happen for the next couple of weeks is sort of baked in already, it’s going to happen."
113 new deaths were reported Wednesday, up from 102 the day before. 141 deaths were reported last Wednesday.
Among the recent deaths – Scioto County Commissioner Mike Crabtree, who had just been re-elected.
It is with a broken heart and profound regret that we announce the passing of our dear friend Scioto County Commissioner... Posted by Scioto County Commissioners on Wednesday, December 2, 2020
And Ohio's positivity rate for Wednesday is 18.9%, with a 7-day moving average of 15.1%. That rate, above 15%, puts Ohio on its own travel advisory list of states to avoid.