Hospitalizations for COVID rising

Despite last week’s data, DeWine says Ohio has adequate patient space.

Last week was the first week Ohio saw an increase of hospitalizations due to coronavirus after two months of dropping numbers, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday.

Cleveland, Dayton and Cincinnati are among the regions seeing an increase in hospitalizations.

DeWine said despite the increases there is still adequate space for patients in Ohio hospitals. None of the regions have hit the “concerning” threshold of 80% overall utilization of ICU beds, the governor said.

There were 500 to 550 COVID19 patients in hospitals a week ago and there are now 650 people hospitalized, he said.

ICU and ventilator utilization have remained steady, but there are increases in some areas, DeWine added.

Montgomery and Hamilton counties were two counties of concern mentioned on a coronavirus call with the White House, he said.

Montgomery County went from an average of 10 new cases a day at the end of May to 40 news cases a day recently, DeWine said.

It is also seeing signs that more people are seeking medical care for the virus, he added. Outpatient visits grew from seven visits a day to 27.

Michael Dohn, medical director of Dayton and Montgomery County Public Health, joined the governor’s news conference

Monday, saying that people ages 20 to 39 make up a third of coronavirus cases.

While younger adults are less likely to have severe coronavirus symptoms, there are still concerns about the virus’ long-term impact.

Dohn also shared concerns the state could see more coronavirus cases due to the upcoming 4th of July holiday. He said people likely will be “intermingling” over the holiday, resulting in clus- ters of cases.

With the increase in cases, more businesses, especially those in southwest Ohio, are concerned as spikes in other states have resulted in industries closing again, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.

The Ohio Department of Health reported a total of 51,046 total cases of coronavirus, an increase of 737 cases, as well as 2,818 total deaths attributed to the virus.

There have been 47,524 confirmed cases and 2,575 confirmed deaths.

Hospital admissions are at 7,746 and ICU admissions at 1,961.

DeWine urged Ohioans to “get serious” and con- tinue social distancing and wear masks.

He said if people want to go out and live their lives, the mask is a symbol of freedom.

The governor a lso ext e nded p ub l ic health orders through the week as the state prepares its next phase in the pandemic.

More details about planning for the next phase, including for K-12 schools, will be available Thursday, DeWine said.

Nursing home visitations can resume starting July 20, DeWine announced. But facilities will have to consider the case status in the com- munity, cases status in the nursing home, staffing levels, hospital capacity, access to testing for residents and staff and personal protective equipment supplies when allowing visitors.

Patrick Schwartz, spokes- man for LeadingAge Ohio, which represents nonprofit nursing homes and other long-term care providers, said flexibility is a hallmark of the assisted living visitation guidelines developed jointly with provider groups such as LeadingAge Ohio.

”It is important that the same flexibilities are offered to nursing homes, all of which are in unique situations when it comes to facilities, staffing and COVID status,” he said.

Ohio’s 70,000 nursing home residents have been in visitor isolation since the start of the pandemic. This has left spouses separated from each other, parents separated from children and families stuck in limbo as the months passed.

”Social isolation is as dan- gerous to an older adult as smoking cigarettes, so we look forward to seeing residents and loved ones safely connect outdoors. With cases on the rise in Ohio, it is even more important now that adequate supports and priority access to PPE are given to providers on the frontlines of this crisis,” Schwartz said.