Ohio continues to mark more grim records with the highest daily count since the beginning of the pandemic - 2,039 in the past 24-hours.
The number of new cases today is a dramatic increase over the previous 3-week average. 151 people have been hospitalized, 17 placed in intensive care units. 16 COVID-19 deaths were reported in the past 24-hours, although the official cause of death can lag by days or weeks.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Tuesday said he hoped Ohio was in the "half-time" of the battle against coronavirus, but warned that the coming months could be difficult, as cold weather drives more people into closer contact:
The increase in cases that began two weeks ago comes as many schools have reopened for in-person classes. Some schools are reconsidering plans to reopen. Columbus City Schools announced Monday they were delaying a return to school buildings for at least two weeks, amid vocal protest over a lack of clear safety directives for students, teachers and staff.
There have been 173,665 cases of COVID-19, and 5,033 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
