Ohio Shatters Record Again, Confirms 6,500 New Coronavirus Cases

COLUMBUS, OH — More than 6,500 new coronavirus cases were confirmed Tuesday in Ohio, easily setting a new record for the state.

In the past 24 hours, 6,508 Ohioans have tested positive for the coronavirus. That easily surpasses Ohio's previous highs, in the 5,000-case range, and is nearly 3,000 cases above Ohio's average of 3,600 new cases per day.

In addition to the surge in new cases, Ohio also set a new record for most hospitalizations related to the virus Tuesday. In the past 24 hours, according to the Ohio Department of Health, 386 Ohioans have entered hospitals for COVID-19 care.

Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday discussed the strain Ohio's hospitals are currently under and has spent weeks urging Ohioans to follow social distancing protocols, even presenting many of the state's leading medical officials to discuss the benefits of mask-wearing and social distancing.

The governor has begun to defend his lack of further action, saying Ohioans must ultimately decide for themselves to fight the virus. However, DeWine is set to address the state during a rare Wednesday evening news conference.

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Top health officials from across the state urged Ohioans to wear masks and follow social distancing rules because hospital systems are increasingly feeling the strain of the COVID-19 surge.

The COVID-19 surge has also led to diminished hospital capacity. Dr. Andrew Thomas of OSU Wexner Medical Center said Ohio surpassed having 2,000 COVID-19 patients in hospitals for the first time Thursday. By Monday, there were 2,500 COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

At the current rate of hospitalizations, Thomas believes non-COVID-19 patients could be crowded out of hospitals in a matter of weeks.

Here are all of Tuesday's COVID-19 numbers in Ohio:

• New cases: 6,508
• New deaths: 23
• New hospitalizations: 386
• New ICU admissions: 39

More reading:

• Northeast Ohio Hospitals Hit Hard By Coronavirus
• Emergency Authorization For Coronavirus Treatment Approved
• Here's Which Ohioans Will Get The Coronavirus Vaccine First