Butler data suggests cases decline

County’s weekly report says fourth wave may have peaked.

Another sign of possible improvement in the COVID-19 situation locally came in the Butler County General Health District’s weekly detailed report, which indicated a decrease in cases in the county.

Cases grew through the late summer to a high of about 300 a day in the middle of September. By early this month, that number had dropped to between 100 and 125 per day, according to a chart in the health district’s weekly report.

“Preliminary information suggests that the fourth wave may have peaked in Butler County,” the health district’s weekly report said.

“It is important that we continue to be vigilant and understand that based on the amount of active cases in Butler County that we are still a community of high transmission and high positivity,” the report said.

Another area of local improvement came in new hospitalizations, which dropped from 50 to Sept. 19-25 to 34 from Sept. 26-Oct. 2.

Ohio reported 329 COVID-19 deaths Friday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. It’s the highest amount reported in the last three weeks. The previous 21-day high was 328 deaths reported on Oct. 1.

The state’s death data can lag because Ohio uses death certificate data to determine coronavirus deaths.

The state added 6,651 cases Friday, bringing its total to 1,458,747, according to ODH. In the last three weeks, Ohio is averaging 5,842 cases a day and 5,505 cases a day in the last week.

As of Friday there are 3,395 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Ohio, including 938 in ICUs and 627 on ventilators. Coronavirus accounts for 12.9% of hospital beds, 19.68% of ICU beds and 13.22% of ventilators in the state.

Ohio has 5,311 (20.1%) hospital beds, 906 (19.01%) ICU beds and 2,908 (61.3%) of ventilators available.

In the last day, Ohio has recorded 245 hospitalizations and 10 ICU admissions, according to the state health department. Ohio’s 21-day average is 260 hospitalizations a day and 22 ICU admissions a day. More than 6.35 million Ohioans, or 54.4%, have started the COVID-19 vaccine. More than 5.91 million residents, or 50.64%, completed the vaccine. The health department reported 253,681 Ohioans have received additional doses of the vaccine.