COLUMBUS, Ohio — The number of confirmed coronavirus patients continues to rise in Ohio. On Sunday, the state Department of Health said that 36 people have now tested positive for the illness.
Jumps like this were expected, as testing is becoming more readily available to the general public. ODH Director Amy Acton says the patients range in age from 31-86 (average age 53) and are spread among 14 men and 12 women. Seven of them are currently hospitalized, but there have still been no deaths.
Before Gov. Mike DeWine's Saturday press conference, Lorain County Public Health confirmed one of the new cases is that county's first case. Sources tell 3News the patient is a woman in her 50s and that she is "fine" and recovering at home. Doctors are now contacting everyone she has been in contact with to alert them of the situation.
The public health department is urging residents not to be worried, reiterating this was expected due to the increase in testing. Health Commissioner David Covell posted this video update a short time ago.
Of the 36 confirmed cases, 14 are in Cuyahoga County, and Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson has now confirmed a man in his 30s who recently came back from traveling outside the U.S. is the city's first resident to contract the coronavirus. Like Lorain County, health officials are now notifying his close contacts.
"We knew that it wasn’t a matter of if, but when we would have a confirmed case in Cleveland," Jackson said. "We have been planning and working in partnership with health officials to ensure that we are as prepared as possible, not only to handle these cases, but to lessen the impact to the community."
350 others in Ohio are currently "under investigation" for the virus and awaiting test results, while 85 have tested negative. The outline of positive cases in Northeast Ohio is as follows:
- Belmont: 2
- Butler:6
- Cuyahoga County: 14
- Franklin: 3
- Medina: 1
- Stark County: 2
- Summit County: 2
- Trumbull County: 2
- Lorain County: 2
- Tuscarawas: 1
- Lucas:1
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