COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday reported 20,552 new COVID-19 cases for the past week, keeping up with a downward trend after a brief spike for the virus.

While the state has seen consistently smaller case rates, it has still reported more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases per week ten times in a row. Before July, the state’s COVID-19 spread had not broken 20,000 new cases in nearly five months. It previously saw an eight-week streak of consistent rises in new cases end in late May. Over the past week, the state averaged around 2,936 new coronavirus cases per day.

ODH began reporting COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths and vaccinations weekly instead of daily in mid-March after new infections slowed to a low level after the omicron wave. While Ohio had a lower case rate week-over-week, more people were hospitalized with the virus. The 626 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days (about 89 per day) are a noticeable jump from 504 last week and 575 the week prior.

ODH said 99 died from the virus, up slightly from 86 deaths the week prior.

A total of 6,825 Ohioans started the COVID-19 vaccination process in the past seven days. Another 6,767 finished vaccination by getting their second dose. Around six in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.