Coronavirus Hospitalizations Continue To Fall In Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — COVID-19-related hospitalizations continue to fall in Ohio, the state health department announced on Friday.

Health officials have been targeting Ohio's most-vulnerable residents for COVID-19 vaccination, Gov. Mike DeWine said this week. He believes the strategy is paying off with reduced COVID-19 hospitalization levels.

In the past 24 hours, 142 people were hospitalized in Ohio because of COVID-19. That's down versus the state's rolling average of 185 hospitalizations per day.

Intensive care admissions related to the virus were also down on Friday, with only nine people entering IC units for treatment. That's down versus the rolling average of 21 COVID-19 ICU admissions per day.

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

• New cases: 3,305.
• New deaths: 2,259.*
• New hospitalizations: 142.
• New ICU admissions: 9.

*Ohio's COVID-19 deaths will be inflated for several days as the state health department adds underreported deaths to the total count.

Nearly 10 percent of Ohioans have received at least the first part of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the state health department. As of Wednesday afternoon, 1.16 million Ohioans had received at least the first shot and 374,380 Ohioans have completed the vaccination process.

Approximately 50 percent of Ohio's school teachers have been received the first part of the COVID-19 vaccine, DeWine said.

More reading:

• Statewide Curfew Lifted In Ohio As Coronavirus Cases Drop
• Ohio Underreported 4,000 COVID-19 Deaths
• Advocacy Groups Demand COVID-19 Vaccine For Essential Workers