Ohio COVID cases up, health dept has shots

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

COLUMBUS – The State of Ohio reported 6,890 new cases of COVID-19 in its weekly Ohio Department of Health dashboard update, which was released on Thursday. The total averages out to just under 1,000 new cases per day statewide over seven days.

It is the fourth consecutive week that reported COVID-19 cases rose and the first week to break 6,000 since the Ohio Department of Health switched from daily COVID-19 updates to weekly in March.

A message on the ODH dashboard states the number is considered artificially inflated because of a backlog of positive test results in Lucas County.

The average for the week ending April 14 was just over 686 new cases per day, and the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has reached 2,688,327 since early 2020.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ohio’s death toll stands at 38,360, an increase of 94 since the week of April 14.

The dashboard also shows a total of 7,301,436 Ohioans have received at least one vaccination, representing about 66 percent of Ohioans age five and up.

Since the beginning of 2021, there have been 23,488 deaths among people reported as unvaccinated and 1,251 among people reported to be fully vaccinated. There have been 66,413 hospitalized Ohioans who were not fully vaccinated and 4,498 fully vaccinated people hospitalized.

The state does not report whether people who contract COVID-19 have received the vaccine and/or boosters.

The Van Wert County General Health District continues to offer COVID-19 vaccination clinics from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Heath Department on Westwood Drive. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available for all doses as eligible. In addition, second booster shots are available for those 65 and older and those 50 and over with special conditions. No appointment is necessary, but those wishing to receive the vaccine or booster should bring insurance information and identification.