Ohio on verge of lowest COVID-19 cases in one year

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Ohio Department of Health reported 3,372 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, nearing a previous 2022 record.

Ohio is in its eighth week of decline, as the state reported 3,372 cases -- the previous lowest record for 2023 -- the week prior. At the beginning of March, Ohio was nearing 10,000 weekly COVID-19 infections before falling back down. Ohio is now on the verge of surpassing the lowest weekly case count of 2022. The state reported just 3,103 cases in a week in March of that year.

ODH has been reporting COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations weekly instead of daily since new infections slowed after the omicron wave. Over the past seven days, the state averaged around 481 new coronavirus cases per day.

The 212 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days -- about 30 per day -- decreased from the 241 reported last week, and the 288 hospitalizations in the week prior.

COVID-19 deaths increased alongside hospitalizations. ODH said 48 people died from the virus, going below the 53 deaths the previous week but remaining barely above the 46 reported two weeks before.

The number of Ohioans getting their first shot and completing COVID-19 vaccinations both decreased over the past week. Compared to 1,124 in the week before, 818 started the vaccine process. Another 1,091 finished vaccination by getting their second dose, down from 1,239. Around six in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.