New virus cases drop as curfew enters the weekend
The number of new coronavirus cases reported by the state dropped to 7,863 on Saturday as Ohioans began their first weekend under Gov. Mike Dewine’s mandated statewide overnight curfew.
Still, the number remains nearly twice as high as daily totals from just three weeks ago.
Ohio has hovered between 7,000 and 8,000 cases a day over the past week until the number jumped above 8,000 on Friday.
The state also reported another 29 deaths and 260 new hospitalizations from the coronavirus Saturday.
Both of those categories are down from numbers posted Friday, when 65 deaths and 398 new hospitalizations were reported.
Another 34 patients were reported to have been admitted to intensive care units on Saturday.
The new cases reported Saturday, down from 8,808 on Friday, do not account for a backlog of about 12,000 lessreliable rapid antigen tests that the state is double-checking. The state always verifies those tests, but the number performed on a daily basis has exploded from hundreds to thousands, making it difficult to check within 24 hours.
The state reported that 3,987 Ohioans were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Saturday.
The seven-day average positive rate on tests, 13.2%, was the highest since late April, when testing was limited. The latest available day (Thursday) resulted in 13.8% positive tests.
Franklin County, which has long led the state in virus infections, reported a new total of 47,321 cases Saturday. The county's death toll stands at 664, second only to Cuyahoga County.
The sustained spike in cases pushed Dewine this week to implement the curfew and to travel the state to encourage Ohioans to limit their contacts, wear masks and abide by the curfew to help stop the rapid spread of the virus.
And local governments across the state have issued stay-at-home advisories for residents, including those in Franklin County, where the state on Thursday issued a “purple” warning designation for the first time based on the severity of the outbreak.
The statewide curfew started Thursday and runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for 21 days until Dec. 10. Franklin County's advisory began at 6 p.m. Friday.
The order does not close businesses, but it does require Ohioans to stay at home during those hours, with several exemptions, including for those seeking medical treatment, picking up takeout food, going to work and shopping for groceries. tdecker@dispatch.com @Theodore_decker