Ohio virus cases rise as officials push mask use

With a statewide mask order set to take effect on Thursday evening, Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine added to the list of counties now under a “red” designation because of high levels of coronavirus exposure and spread.

Most of the new designations are north or west of central Ohio, where all counties except Madison continue to reflect red, or Level 3, status — the second highest — under the state’s public-health advisory system.

“Again, our numbers remain high,” Dewine said Thursday during his regular briefing on the virus. In too many areas, he said, “The trend lines are not going in the right direction.”

The state reported 1,444 new infections on Thursday and 21 more confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19, as the novel coronavirus continues its surge in Ohio and throughout much of the nation. There were 104 additional hospitalizations, higher than the 21-day average.

The latest tallies bring Ohio’s new and confirmed cases to 80,186, with 3,256 deaths, since the pandemic began.

Dewine said the jump in infection rates in several areas can be traced to gatherings such as weddings, athletic events and funerals, or in settings such as bars and nursing homes.

He praised a few incidents in which people voluntarily quarantined and staved off infections, and called out others where precautions were not followed.

Cases have spiked since shutdown measures were relaxed in the spring, leading officials to plead with the public to follow recommendations.

But many Ohioans continue to push back against masks. Hundreds turned out bare-faced at the Statehouse on Saturday to protest mask mandates and other restrictions at issue during the pandemic.

Lisa Hamler-fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, urged Ohioans to comply.

“Ohioans have made many sacrifices because of this pandemic, not the least of which are economic ones which have contributed to lost jobs, lost wages and trouble affording food,” she said in a prepared statement. “The smallest sacrifice we can each make is to don our mask to protect others, to prevent overflooding our hospitals and to keep more businesses, schools and workplaces open.”

According to a new public-opinion survey from Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape, about 83% of respondents said they had worn a mask in public over the past week, and 17% said they hadn’t.

The survey, which included Ohioans, also found that about 38% of people had socialized with people outside of their household without maintaining social distancing.

The Thursday daily case tally is down slightly from Wednesday, when the state reported 1,527 new infections, its third-highest case count since the pandemic began.

The number of new cases has accelerated by about 52% this month to an average of 1,225 a day through Wednesday.

Eighteen of the 20 days in which Ohio has posted 1,000 or more new daily virus cases have come in July, with a new record of 1,679 on July 17.

The mask mandate Dewine issued on Wednesday went into effect at 6 p.m. Thursday and essentially blankets the state with the requirement that “red” counties had already experienced. A few counties, including Summit and Lorain, improved just enough to slip out of “red” status Thursday, Dewine said.

But infection rates remain high in Franklin County, which leads the state with 14,993 cases so far.

The mask order applies to adults and children 10 years age or older while in public places where social distancing isn’t possible. It excludes private residences, but includes outdoor areas where large numbers of people gather.

Dewine also issued a travel advisory Wednesday for anyone entering Ohio from nine states and Puerto Rico where coronavirus cases are surging.

He noted a recent case in which a nursing-home employee who had visited Texas came home and reported for work despite showing symptoms. “She tested positive, but by then it was too late,” he said, adding that the facility now has several infections.

The jump in cases across the general population also has led to a dangerous increase in COVID-19 diagnoses among residents and staff in Ohio’s long-term-care facilities, which already account for a majority of the state’s coronavirus deaths.

According to Ohio Department of Health data that tracks reported infections over a seven-day period, new cases in long-term care facilities dipped to 913 for a week in June but hit 1,315 in the latest weekly total.

Dispatch Reporters Randy Ludlow and George Shillcock contributed to this story. rprice@dispatch.com @Ritaprice