New virus cases shy of 3-week average

An additional 1,199 Ohioans tested positive for the coronavirus as of Wednesday.

The number of new cases falls just below a three-week average of 1,285 per day, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The latest number is also well below Ohio’s record of 1,733 new cases set on July 30.

Wednesday’s cases bring the statewide total of confirmed and probable cases to 96,305, according to the state.

On average, 5.6% of Ohioans who were tested for the virus over the previous seven days were found to be positive as of Monday, the most recent day for which testing data is available. Nearly 1.57 million COVID-19 tests have been administered in Ohio, according to the state health department.

An additional 26 deaths were reported since Tuesday. That is nearly level with the three-week average of 25 per day. The number of Ohioans who have died of COVID-19 stands at 3,596, according to the state.

Hospitalizations increased by 112 on Wednesday; that exceeds the latest three-week average of 96 per day.

Total admissions to intensive care units also ticked up by 16 as of Wednesday. That’s about even with the average daily increase of 17, state data shows.

Franklin County still has the most cases and deaths since the pandemic surfaced in Ohio in March. As of Wednesday, 17,619 cases and 517 deaths had been reported in the county.

Cuyahoga County remains the second-hardest-hit county, with 13,011 cases and 487 deaths, the state health department reported. At 9,297, Hamilton County has the third-highest number of cases, while Lucas County has the third-most deaths, at 320, according to the state.

Tuscarawas church spreads virus

A Tuscarawas County church has been linked to a coronavirus outbreak that sickened 91 people.

At his press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Mike Dewine showed a graphic detailing how the virus spread from one 56-year-old man who attended a June 14 church service. By July 4, scores of other people in five counties had developed symptoms.

Tuscarawas County Health Commissioner Katie Seward on Wednesday confirmed that the church is in the county, but she would not release its name.

State fair agency lays off 46

If not for COVID-19, the Ohio State Fair would be in full swing now, attracting tens of thousands of people each day to the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus.

Instead, the Ohio Expositions Commission is laying off 46 employees due to the loss of $2 million to $3 million in revenue as a result of the cancellation of the state fair and other events due to the pandemic.

Some of those losing their jobs are being moved to positions that support the state’s COVID-19 response, spokeswoman Alicia Shoults said.

Those being laid off received notices on Tuesday that their last day of work will be Aug. 21.

The state fair had been scheduled for July 29 to Aug. 9. Other events set for the fairgrounds, such as the annual American Quarter Horse Congress, also have been canceled.

“The loss of events has had a significant impact on our agency’s finances. Since March, the Ohio Expo Center has eliminated all nonessential purchases and taken every step to preserve funding,” Shoults said.

She said officials worked to keep their team of employees together as long as possible.

“We are hopeful that as events are able to safely resume, we will also be able to rebuild our team,” Shoults said.

Other state employees also could face layoffs as officials move to reduce spending to cover a projected budget hole caused by plunging tax revenue resulting in part from pandemic-related job losses in the economy.

Dispatch Reporter Randy Ludlow and (New Philadelphia) Times Reporter staff writer Jon Baker contributed to this story. mfilby@dispatch.com @Maxfilby