Ohio adds 1,080 new COVID-19 cases; Ohio State awarded $5 million for testing from NIH

Another 1,080 Ohioans tested positive for the coronavirus as of Wednesday.

Wednesday's cases were more than the three-week average of 1,001 new cases reported per day, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The latest new cases bring the statewide total to 153,987.

More than 3.15 million COVID-19 tests have been administered across Ohio since the pandemic began in March.

The average positive test rate for Ohioans over the previous seven days rose to 3% on Monday, the most recent day for which data is available, according to the health department.

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Deaths rose on Wednesday by 21, which is less than the three-week average of 23 new deaths reported per day. So far, the virus has killed 4,804 Ohioans, according to the state.

An additional 103 Ohioans were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday. That's above the three-week average of 68 new hospitalizations per day, state data shows.

Admissions to intensive care units increased on Wednesday by 14, which is more than the three-week average of 11 new ICU admissions a day. On Wednesday, 689 Ohioans remained hospitalized with COVID-19, including 194 in ICUs and 103 on ventilators, according to the state.

Franklin County has reported the most cases at 27,424 and the second most deaths with 615. Cuyahoga County has recorded the most deaths with 658 and the second-highest number of cases at 17,649, according to the state.

Ohio State University announced Wednesday that it received a $5 million, two-year award from the National Institutes of Health to help pay for projects designed to rapidly implement COVID-19 testing for populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

The pandemic is known to have disproportionately impacted minorities throughout the U.S. For example, Black Ohioans make up 14% of the state's population but nearly 19% of COVID-19 cases and 17.5% of virus deaths, according to the state.

Ohio State is among 32 institutions to receive awards for these projects from the NIH.

“We decided to pursue this opportunity to benefit the residents of Ohio, especially minority and vulnerable populations who bear the brunt of COVID and its impacts in all facets of life,” Electra Paskett, director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in the Department of Internal Medicine at Ohio State's College of Medicine said in a prepared statement.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby