Avoid Holiday Gatherings In Ohio, Health Officials Warn

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohioans are being asked to stay home and avoid holiday gatherings.

As the end-of-the-year holidays approach, Ohio is in the midst of its worst COVID-19 surge. Many Ohio hospitals are strained as they attempt to care for an unprecedented number of patients.

"We can't afford to let this get worse," said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the chief medical officer for the state health department. "We can't let our guard down. Our holidays just have to be different this year. We have to protect ourselves and those we love."

He said Ohioans should wear their masks anytime they leave their house and should not share a meal with anyone outside of their household. Vanderhoff noted that you can't wear a mask while eating or drinking, which increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

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Wednesday's COVID-19 Numbers

Continuing a recent trend, Ohio's new COVID-19 cases were below their rolling average, while every other metric (deaths, hospitalizations) saw a sustained surge.

"While we're seeing a leveling off cases, later indicators are up," Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday.

Here are all of Wednesday's COVID-19 numbers:

• New cases: 7,790
• New deaths: 109
• New hospitalizations: 431
• New ICU admissions: 52

The Ohio Department of Health estimates that 467,570 Ohioans have contracted COVID-19 and recovered from the virus.

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