Coronavirus in Ohio: 1,157 new cases, 20 new deaths reported Saturday

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest number of COVID-19 cases in the state.

As of Saturday, Oct. 3, a total of 157,966 (+1,157) cases have been reported in Ohio since the pandemic began, leading to 4,925 (+20) deaths and 15,735 (+47) hospitalizations. There are a presumed 136,330 recovered cases in the state.

“The case number is very alarming,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Friday afternoon. “The-21 day average is back over 1,000, and we do not like to see that.”

DeWine, his wife Fran, and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted all tested negative for coronavirus Friday. The three were tested following the announcement that President Donald Trump and his wife Melania tested positive for the virus.

Earlier in the day, DeWine and Husted both released statements offering prayers and well wishes to the president and first lady.

During Thursday’s regular briefing, DeWine expressed concern that the positivity rate in the state may be on the rise again.

“We’re watching that,” We don’t know if it’s a long-term trend.”

Delaware County is no longer at level 3 in Ohio’s latest coronavirus advisory map. In central Ohio, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Licking, Logan, Madison, Marion, Ross and Union counties are all level 2. Madison, Fayette, and Ross counties moved up from level 1 last week.

In southwest Ohio, Hamilton, Butler and Clermont counties are at level 3.

Franklin County has dropped out of the top 20 counties for highest occurrence in the state.

Husted spoke with Dr. Abigail Norris-Turner from Ohio State, who told of an effort on behalf of the state Department of Health to create a benchmark tracking the spread of the virus in the state.

Her group worked to calculate two estimates, on those who currently had COVID-19 and who had had it already. The results were in line with similar national studies, she said.

“Some hundreds of thousands have had COVID, and millions are still susceptible to COVID,” she said.

She also spoke about efforts to determine whether a person could contract COVID-19 a second time, which remains largely unclear.

“COVID-19 continues to surprise,” Norris-Turner said. “We shouldn’t make any optimstic or pessimistic predictions.”

The Department of Health adds the data when it is informed of a case or death. The information is backdated to the actual date the person started exhibiting symptoms or the date the person died.