COVID-19 Surge In Ohio: 7,897 Cases, 255 Hospitalizations

OHIO — Despite another desperate plea for mask wearing, vaccinations and social distancing from Ohio medical officials, COVID-19 cases continued their unprecedented climb on Thursday.

In the past 24 hours, 7,897 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among Ohioans, the most cases confirmed in a single day in at least the past three weeks. The state's rolling average for new COVID-19 cases discovered per day is now 5,009.

Hospitalizations related to the virus were also up versus their average, with 255 Ohioans being admitted to hospitals in the past 24 hours due to COVID-19. Ohio is now averaging 180 COVID-19 hospitalizations per day.

The escalation of the state's current COVID-19 wave is "alarming," according to Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health. The state's hospitals are straining and creaking under the increased stress and, with waning staff levels, are struggling to keep up with demand.

Vanderhoff hosted a news conference on Thursday morning again asking Ohioans to get vaccinated, if possible, and to wear a mask whenever they're in a shared space. He noted that some Ohio hospitals are already turning away patients seeking elective procedures, and there is concern about the continued surge.

"We are running up against real challenges in terms of the wear and tear this long pandemic has had on our providers, our front line providers, and our hospitals that maintain a high pace of work and activity over the long, long haul," he said.