COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest numbers related to the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The ODH announced that cases for the next several days will be inflated due to a processing lag caused by the unprecedented number of cases reported. There was also a processing enhancement implemented Thursday, according to the ODH, that will expand Ohio’s capacity to process a higher volume of lab results.
“As COVID-19 cases have reached all-time highs, driven largely by the highly contagious Omicron variant, the system reached its processing capacity, resulting in a multiple-day backlog of tens of thousands of results. In addition, there are some positive test results that involve a further manual review by state epidemiologists,” the ODH stated in a release.
Numbers as of Saturday, Jan. 15 follow:
| Total | Change | |
| New cases | 2,357,990 | +50,299 |
| Hospitalizations | 102,004 | +345 |
| ICU admissions | 12,266 | +39 |
| Deaths* | 30,922 | N/A |
The 21-day case average is above 21,200.
The department reported 7,853 people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to 7,100,309, which is 60.74% of the state’s population. And 23,412 received booster shots.
The Ohio Hospital Association reported the following numbers related to COVID-19 patients:
| Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 | No. | Percent of total beds | Percent of total beds available |
| Total | 6,289 | 25.5% | 16.2% |
| In ICU | 1,224 | 27.71% | 15.33% |
| On ventilator | 862 | 17.3% | 59.8% |
The White House announced the federal website to request free COVID-19 tests opens Jan. 19. Business owners in central Ohio are feeling a bit of relief after the CDC changed the recommendations on quarantine and isolation times for positive COVID-19 cases. Health officials are encouraging Americans to wear N95 or KN95 masks with supply shortage concerns removed.
Go to this website for the current quarantine and isolation guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.
