State data shows COVID-19 continues to spread in Ohio’s rural counties

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Data released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Health shows COVID-19 continues to grow in rural counties.

The coronavirus occurrence rate tracked by the state shows this week’s top 10 counties with the highest rate of cases are all located in rural parts of the state.

Gov. Mike DeWine said those counties have populations less than 60,000 people.

The case rate is measured by every 100 cases per 100,000 people in any given county.

The county with the highest occurrence rate for the past week was Darke County in western Ohio, with a case rate of 189.8, which is 97 cases recorded in the county’s 51,113 citizens.

Franklin County, previously in the top 10, had a case rate of 88.2, which is 1,162 cases recorded among the county’s 1,316,756 citizens.

The rest of the top ten counties and their case rates are:

• Mercer County – 189.4
• Jackson County – 175.9
• Henry County – 159.2
• Preble County – 156.5
• Fayette County – 150.7
• Auglaize County – 146.7
• Galia County – 137.1
• Ottawa County – 131.7
• Lawrence County – 127.8

Coronavirus in Ohio resources: