COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio has successfully flattened the curve and gone from one infected person spreading the disease to three people, on average, to a one-to-one community spread ratio.
Gov. Mike DeWine told Ohioans that they're responsible for the health and safety of those around us. That’s something DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton are going to monitor closely, they said.
“When we began the spread of infectious diseases in Ohio and around the globe, was about one person could spread it to 2.5 to three people and in fact, when we started in Ohio before you took the steps you did we are spreading it to 2.3 people. We are now down to one, which means one person spreads to one person,” Acton said during the news conference.
It’s a number that DeWine said he believes can go down even further if Ohioans are responsible.
“We’ve talked about flattening the curve, we’re in the position now where we can open up Ohio only because we took those actions. If we had not taken those actions, we would not be in a position to move forward,” DeWine said.
You can help by frequently washing your hands, properly social distancing and wearing a mask (which is highly recommended) when out in public.
“This is a good day," DeWine said. "This is a day when we are opening things up. We have more opportunities. But I want to caution us. It's high-risk. This is a high-risk operation. But it would be high-risk if we didn't do anything."
New numbers released by the Ohio Department of Health show that new cases of coronavirus ticked down slightly from Wednesday, which saw the most new cases of any day this week, so far.
As of Thursday, there are 22,131 total cases of COVID-19 in Ohio, with 555 more cases than the day prior. That’s slightly down from the 607 new cases reported Wednesday, but higher than the 495 cases reported Tuesday.
Cases in Cuyahoga County went up by a narrow margin with 49 additional cases.
Additionally, the number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions has grown state-wide. Eighty-eight more people have been hospitalized, bringing the total number to 4,140. Sixteen additional people have been placed in the ICU, bringing the total number of those cases to 1,167.
A total of 1,271 people have died due to coronavirus or a coronavirus-related illness. As of Thursday, Cuyahoga County has the second highest number of deaths at 136. To the west, Lucas County has highest number of deaths in the state at 155. Franklin County comes in third with 107 deaths.
During a news conference on Thursday, DeWine unveiled the state’s plan to begin reopening salons and barbershops on May 15, outside dining at restaurants and bars on May 15, and inside dining on May 21, with additional health and safety protocols and regulations for employees and customers.
RELATED: DeWine unveils plan to open salons, barbershops, outside dining on May 15, inside dining on May 21
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Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Ohio, a timeline of Governor Mike DeWine's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Northeast Ohio, and link to more information from the Ohio Department of Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the CDC and the WHO.
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The federal government has begun distributing $1,200 Economic Impact Payments to millions of Americans to help relieve the economic burden caused by coronavirus. Click here for everything you need to know about checking the status and receiving these payments.
The CDC and the Ohio Department of Health are now recommending the use of cloth face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Read more about the CDC's recommendation here. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a face mask from common household materials, without having to know how to sew.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Here is everything you need to know about testing for coronavirus in Ohio.
Here's a list of things in Northeast Ohio closed due to coronavirus concerns
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