COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Department of Health on Thursday reported 21,731 new COVID-19 cases for the past week, going back to a downward trend after a brief spike for the virus.

While the state had seen consistently smaller case rates, it has still reported more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases per week nine 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 3,104 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. Ohio's lower case rate week-over-week was joined by fewer people hospitalized with the virus. The 504 hospitalizations reported by ODH in the past seven days (72 per day) show a consistent decline from 575 last week and 604 the week prior.

ODH said 86 died from the virus, up slightly from 84 deaths the week prior.

A total of 3,671 Ohioans started the COVID-19 vaccination process in the past seven days. Another 3,673 finished vaccination by getting their second dose. Around six in 10 Ohioans are partially or fully vaccinated.