Key data shows COVID-19 situation improving in Ohio

MIAMI VALLEY — Coronavirus hospitalizations for the majority of the Miami Valley are down significantly over the last 60 days as vaccinations continue.

On Tuesday, the Ohio Hospital Association reported that 1 in 8 people that are hospitalized locally have COVID-19, that’s down from 1 in 4 patients 60 days ago.

>> Miami Valley vaccine timeline: Where you can schedule a vaccination

The number of people in the hospital due to COVID-19 is at the lowest point since the beginning of November, when the state was seeing a steep climb in cases as the area approached the Thanksgiving holiday.

The seriousness of COVID-19 cases in hospitals also continues on a downward trend as the area now has 63 people in the ICU due to COVID, which is 1 in 6 patients that are in intensive care units. Sixty days ago 1 in 3 people in the ICU had coronavirus.

The trends locally mirror the statewide data as well. In the last 60 days, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have dropped 37 percent. ICU admissions due to COVID-19 have dropped 34 percent in the last 60 days.

The data echoes other data that has been showing an improvement of the coronavirus situation in Ohio in recent weeks.

Last week, for the first time in seven weeks, Ohio was removed from the weekly travel advisory that warns Ohioans of potential hotspots for COVID-19 exposure.

Additionally, the testing positivity rate for COVID-19 has dropped from a peak 7-day average of 14.1 percent for confirmed and presumed positive in Mid-December to 7.9 percent Tuesday.

While conditions locally are improving, last week Gov. Mike DeWine extended the stay-at-home curfew by one week, until Jan. 30.

“Unfortunately it’s going to have to stay. You see where the numbers are, down for a few days, but we’re still at a very, very high level,” DeWine said.

The curfew runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., but does not apply to those going to and from work, those who have an emergency, or those who need medical care. It also is not designed to stop anyone from getting groceries, going to grocery or getting a carry-out or drive-thru meal.

At some point in the future, DeWine said, he will consider changing the curfew to reduce the impact on businesses. He mentioned the possibility of moving it to 11 pm, but he did not indicate when that might happen.

DeWine said originally he had been advised by the Trump administration to shut down bars and restaurants completely to limit transmission of the coronavirus. Instead, he ordered the curfew. “We did this as a compromise. The best experts said to close bars, to close restaurants. We had state after state did that during the pandemic,” DeWine said.

Cox Media Group