Health & Fitness
Ohio Trying To Confirm 12,000 Possible Coronavirus Cases
Gov. Mike DeWine said health officials have decided to double-check 12,000 possible positive cases, rather than count them in daily totals.
COLUMBUS, OH — Health officials are struggling to confirm 12,000 possible new COVID-19 cases, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Gov. Mike DeWine said the number of antigen tests being performed in Ohio has skyrocketed. Health officials double-check the results of antigen tests, but the surge in positive tests has left officials playing catch up.
Each day, approximately 10,000 antigen tests need to be confirmed by health officials, DeWine said. The influx has created a backlog and there are now 12,000 possible positive COVID-19 tests that have not been added to the state's daily case totals.
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"We just can't clear these cases fast enough," the governor said.
DeWine said he hopes to have more information on that allotment of antigen test cases soon. He expects the majority of the 12,000 antigen test cases to be confirmed.
Find out what's happening in Across Ohiofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
If Ohio added 6,000 antigen test cases to Monday's and Tuesday's new COVID-19 case totals, both days would have broken the state's record for most new cases confirmed in a single day.
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Hospitalizations remain high, with more than 340 Ohioans entering hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in the past 24 hours. Thirty-eight Ohioans entered intensive care units for coronavirus care.
Deaths are also beginning to trend upward. COVID-19-related deaths tend to lag behind other indicators, like new cases and hospitalizations.
Here are all of Thursday COVID-19 numbers in Ohio:
- New cases: 7,787
- New deaths: 63
- New hospitalizations: 343
- New ICU admissions: 38
Wednesday's COVID-19 numbers were delayed by the Ohio Department of Health. Here are those numbers as well:
- New cases: 6,385
- New deaths: 55
- New hospitalizations: 371
- New ICU admissions: 30
I've joined @GovWhitmer, @GovPritzker, @GovHolcomb, @GovAndyBeshear, @GovTimWalz, & @GovEvers in a bipartisan effort to encourage everyone across the region to remain safe and prevent #COVID19 spread as we head into the holidays. #StaySafeOhio #MasksOnOhio https://t.co/VV0Yu7BZAo
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) November 18, 2020
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