When it comes to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton believes the worst is yet to come.
But even with the state possibly peaking in the next few weeks, Acton urged Ohioans to stay the course in regards to physical distancing and other preventative measures.
"This is going to be a hard week and we have a couple of hard weeks ahead," Acton said. "We cannot let up. The second we let up, it unravels."
Based on the current modeling, Acton said she expects Ohio to peak in mid-late April with approximately 10,000 new daily cases. As of Monday, Ohio has had 4,450 confirmed coronavirus cases, 1,214 of which have resulted in hospitalization, 371 ICU admissions and 142 deaths.
While Acton doesn't believe this week will mark Ohio's peak, she stressed the need for Ohio to maintain its urgency in slowing the spread of the virus. She also admitted that she's aware of how difficult that can be, but maintains that doing so will put Ohio on the right side of history.
"It is no small thing that we are doing together," a visibly emotional Acton said. "It is so incredibly hard to shut down our lives the way we have. I am absolutely certain you will look back and know you helped save each other in this state. The impact is profound."
Dating back to the discovery of the state's first positive coronavirus case on March 9, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has taken several measures to encourage physical distancing, including a stay-at-home order that is currently in place until at least May 1.