COLUMBUS, Ohio — At least 17,065 Ohioans tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday and Friday, the Ohio Department of Health reported Friday after a delay in posting.
The state health department didn't report the latest coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations on Thanksgiving. The daily COVID-19 data is posted every day at 2 p.m., but there was a delay of more than an hour Friday posting the two-day data.
With those figures Ohio has now reported 399,808 total COVID-19 cases as the coronavirus continues to ravage the state.
"Today's data includes those cases that would have been reported on Thanksgiving. Additionally, the data (reported Friday) is incomplete. Because of unprecedented volume, thousands of reports are pending review," the health department's website said.
The daily record for coronavirus cases was set Monday with 11,885, although it could be a data anomaly due to a backlog of test results. Ohio's new daily cases have consistently hovered between 6,000 and 9,000 since Nov. 12.
Deaths rose by 72 Thursday and Friday. So far, the virus has killed 6,346 in the state, according to the health department.
An additional 474 Ohioans were hospitalized with COVID-19 Thursday and Friday, including an additional 44 in the intensive care unit. Hospitalizations have increased 108% during the past three weeks, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. There have been 25,960 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
There are 4,535 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 635 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 1,113 COVID-19 patients in the ICU, according to the state.
The positive rate on virus tests posted Friday was 14.1% on the latest reported day (Tuesday) with the seven-day average at 13.5%.
Montgomery, Lake and Lorain counties were elevated to "purple" status Wednesday, joining Franklin County which remained purple. Eleven counties were placed on the watch list for a potential "purple" rating: Adams, Clermont, Hamilton, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Warren and Wood.
Franklin County reported 1,491 new cases Thursday and Friday, bringing the county's total number of cases to 52,652. One new death was also reported in Franklin County, bringing the new death total to 672.
