Coronavirus Hospitalizations Dip Slightly In Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — As Ohio officials consider abbreviating the statewide curfew, hospitalizations related to COVID-19 continued to dip on Wednesday.

In the past 24 hours, 254 people were admitted to Ohio hospitals for COVID-19 treatment. That's below the state's rolling average of 258 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day.

Gov. Mike DeWine said if there are seven straight days with fewer than 3,500 COVID-19 patients in Ohio hospitals, the curfew will be moved to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. for two weeks. If there were fewer than 3,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, the curfew would be moved to midnight.

If there are seven straight days with fewer than 2,500 COVID-19 patients in Ohio hospitals, the curfew will be lifted entirely.

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Hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths related to COVID-19 tend to lag behind new cases confirmed. Ohio has seen a steady decline in the number of new cases it is discovering each day, suggesting there may be a corresponding drop in deaths and hospitalizations on the horizon.

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

• New cases: 5,366
• New deaths: 75
• New hospitalizations: 254
• New ICU admissions: 21

The Ohio Department of Health estimates that 748,132 Ohioans have contracted COVID-19 and recovered.

Nearly 6 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, 682,705 Ohioans have received at least the first shot.

More reading:

• Ohio Considers Lifting Statewide Curfew
• 'Screaming My Head Off For More': States Plead For Vaccine Boost
• 'COVID Bandit' Left $1,400 Tip For 7 Café Employees To Share