Ohio's COVID-19 cases reach new lowest level for 2023

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio has again surpassed the lowest COVID-19 case count since the state health department switched to reporting weekly numbers.

The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday reported 2,770 new COVID-19 cases, beating out the previous early May record of 2,978. The state reset on weeks in a row it has reported a decline in the virus' numbers, as the state reported 3,836 cases the week after its previous lowest report for 2023. Ohio's most recent upward climb in COVID-19 numbers was at the beginning of March, when it neared 10,000 weekly COVID-19 infections before falling back down.

ODH has been reporting COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations weekly instead of daily since new infections slowed after the omicron wave. Over the past seven days, the state averaged around 396 new coronavirus cases per day.

The 159 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days -- about 23 per day -- increased from the 138 reported last week, but remained fewer than the 192 hospitalizations in the week prior.

COVID-19 deaths went down alongside hospitalizations. ODH said 36 people died from the virus, rising from the 26 deaths reported in the previous week, but staying below the 39 from two weeks before.

Both the number of Ohioans getting their first shot and the amount completing COVID-19 vaccinations decreased over the past week. Compared to 1,003 in the week before, 945 started the vaccine process. Another 848 finished vaccination by getting their second dose, down from 971. Around six in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.