Ohio sees biggest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases in nearly two months

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Health reported 660 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, the largest single-day increase in new infections in nearly two months.

The increase is the largest in Ohio in a 24-hour period since May 28, when the state reported an identical increase of 660 new infections, according to ODH data.

The ODH released a clarification later on Monday, saying the daily increase could be high due to a technical glitch that has prevented “a small number of cases” from counting over the past two weeks. Officials did not say how much the technical glitch altered Monday’s total.

The state also reported 35 new hospitalizations and four new intensive care admissions on Monday. No new deaths have been reported, as death totals are only updated twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The 660 new cases reported Monday are nearly double Ohio’s three-week average of 330 new infections per day, according to ODH data.

Rise in new coronavirus infections in Ohio is in line with a trend seen in the United States All 50 states now see increase in new cases, fueled by slowing vaccination rates and the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, health officials said.

Ohio has seen new infections increase sharply over the past week. As of July 12, the state had an average of 285 new cases per day over seven days. As of Monday, the seven-day average had risen 39% to 468 new cases per day, according to ODH data.

Health officials in the United States have said the Delta variant is leading to an increase in new infections. The variant, also known as B.1.617.2, has been classified by the World Health Organization as “worrying variant”After causing a wave of coronavirus infections in India. Ohio health officials have warned that the variant poses a significant risk to any unvaccinated person.

The rise in new infections also comes as vaccinations slow in Ohio and other parts of the United States Less than 48.5% of the population of Ohio started their vaccinations, and less than 45.5% were fully vaccinated.

However, Ohio’s vaccination efforts have helped keep new infections lower than they were during the winter and spring of 2021. The state’s seven-day average of new infections peaked at over 12,000 per day in mid-December, as was still over 2,000 per day in mid-April, according to ODH data.

Health officials have repeatedly stressed that vaccinating more Americans is critical to reducing the risk of COVID-19. About 97% of all hospitalizations related to COVID-19 Across the country, there are unvaccinated people, and nearly all of the deaths are among those who did not receive a vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week.