Ohio Tops 100,000 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio has crossed a milestone in its battle against COVID-19.

On Sunday, the state health department confirmed XX new COVID-19 cases. Since the start of the pandemic, health officials have confirmed more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases among Ohioans.

Few Ohioans could have known what the COVID-19 pandemic would mean for Ohio. The virus became a household term in the Buckeye State in March, when Gov. Mike DeWine and then state Health Director Amy Acton closed the Arnold bodybuilding competition to the public.

What followed was unprecedented: a months-long shutdown of nearly all economic sectors, an order for Ohioans to stay home, and the end of visitation at congregate care facilities like nursing homes.

Acton eventually left state government after being the subject of anti-Semitic attacks and protests, along with frequent attempts to strip her of power by Ohio Republicans.

DeWine then began lifting restrictions on businesses, allowing them to reopen. Protests filled Ohio streets over police brutality and then new cases of COVID-19 began to surge again.

Ohio is now under a statewide mask mandate and alcohol sales at restaurants and bars must stop at 10 p.m. DeWine has said cases have begun to slow or plateau, and Sunday's numbers back his assertion up. All of the state's key COVID-19 metrics were down versus their daily three-week average.

Here are all of Sunday's COVID-19 numbers:

• New cases: 879
• New deaths: 1
• New hospitalizations: 49
• New ICU admissions: 11