COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Numbers as of Thursday, Feb. 24 follow:
| Total | Change | |
| New cases | 2,649,692 | +1,321 |
| Hospitalizations | 112,056 | +151 |
| ICU admissions | 13,187 | +17 |
| Deaths* | 36,267 | N/A |
The 21-day case average is below 2,400.
The department reported 3,152 people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to 7,219,437 which is 61.76% of the state’s population. And 4,255 received booster shots.
The Ohio Hospital Association reported the following numbers related to COVID-19 patients:
| Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 | No. | Percent of total beds | Percent of total beds available |
| Total | 1,264 | 5.3% | 17.2% |
| In ICU | 249 | 6.11% | 22.52% |
| On ventilator | 164 | 3.24% | 70.83% |
Ohio National Guard members have completed their mission of helping communities and health workers during the omicron variant wave of COVID-19, Ohio’s health director said Thursday. A growing list of central Ohio districts doing away with requiring masks to combat COVID-19. Both Groveport Madison and Worthington school districts announced Wednesday they were dropping their mask mandates for both students and staff. Franklin County dropped from the highest level of COVID-19 transmission on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s map Wednesday, pushing Columbus one step closer to lifting its mask mandate.
