Sandusky County's COVID cases up 65.9%; Ohio cases surge 22.3%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK

In the United States 83,281,329 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1,002,173 people have died as of May 22.

New coronavirus cases leaped in Ohio in the week ending Sunday, rising 22.3% as 19,536 cases were reported. The previous week had 15,970 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Ohio ranked 27th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States increased 31.8% from the week before, with 796,108 cases reported. With 3.51% of the country's population, Ohio had 2.45% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 42 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Sandusky County reported 73 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 44 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 14,088 cases and 239 deaths.

Within Ohio, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Lucas County with 272 cases per 100,000 per week; Lorain County with 268; and Ashtabula County with 241. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Cuyahoga County, with 2,966 cases; Franklin County, with 2,547 cases; and Summit County, with 1,237. Weekly case counts rose in 77 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Cuyahoga, Lucas and Hamilton counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Ohio ranked 43rd among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 63.6% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Wednesday, Ohio reported administering another 82,750 vaccine doses, including 7,755 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 93,811 vaccine doses, including 7,571 first doses. In all, Ohio reported it has administered 17,871,601 total doses.

Across Ohio, cases fell in seven counties, with the best declines in Ashtabula County, with 234 cases from 323 a week earlier; in Fairfield County, with 182 cases from 210; and in Athens County, with 71 cases from 83.

In Ohio, 40 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, zero people were reported dead.

A total of 2,743,577 people in Ohio have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 38,590 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 83,281,329 people have tested positive and 1,002,173 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Ohio's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 22.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

Last week: 1,707
The week before that: 1,439
Four weeks ago: 903

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

Last week: 53,333
The week before that: 49,215
Four weeks ago: 39,443

Hospitals in 31 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 29 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 37 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.