COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Numbers as of March 9 follow:
| Total | Change | |
| New cases | 2,661,557 | +829 |
| Hospitalizations | 113,002 | +51 |
| ICU admissions | 13,288 | +10 |
| Deaths* | 37,212 | N/A |
The 21-day case average is below 1,200.
The department reported 1,765 people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to 7,246,279 which is 61.99% of the state’s population. And 2,781received 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 | 729 | 3% | 18.3% |
| In ICU | 147 | 3.65% | 22.88% |
| On ventilator | 98 | 1.94% | 72.41% |
It’s been two years since Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and former state health director Amy Acton appeared at a lectern in the Ohio Statehouse, warning of an imminent threat posed by COVID-19, a mysterious respiratory illness spreading in other countries and gaining a foothold in the U.S.
While Columbus dropped its mask mandate Monday, all four major Columbus-area health systems — OhioHealth, Mount Carmel Health System, Nationwide Children’s and Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center — will continue to require patients, visitors, and staff to mask up, according to spokespersons from each health entity.
