COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio schools reported more than 27,000 new coronavirus cases this week, setting a new record one week after cases shattered a previous record.

K-12 schools reported 27,774 new cases to the Ohio Department of Health in the week ending Sunday, Jan. 16, according to data released Thursday.

Last week saw 23,268 new cases, which was still more than double the most cases NBC4 had previously seen since starting to track cases in mid-September. More than 50,000 cases have been reported in just the past two weeks, more than were reported in the previous seven weeks combined.

The school year total stands at 187,094 cases among students and staff. Infections were caught in and out of school.

Weekly COVID-19 cases reported by Ohio schools:

  • Sept. 16:  +10,682
  • Sept. 23:  +9,827
  • Sept. 30:  +7,564
  • Oct. 7:  +7,405
  • Oct. 14:  +6,289
  • Oct. 21:  +5,116
  • Oct. 28:  +4,660
  • Nov. 4:  +4,696
  • Nov. 11:  +5,348
  • Nov. 18:  +6,781
  • Nov. 24:  +6,668
  • Dec. 2:  +5,134
  • Dec. 9:  +10,190
  • Dec. 16:  +8,428
  • Dec. 23:  +9,984
  • Dec. 30:  +4,016
  • Jan. 6:  +5,559
  • Jan. 13:  +23,268
  • Jan. 20:  +27,774

Schools report cases among students and staff to ODH on Tuesdays, reflecting the week ending on the previous Sunday. ODH releases numbers on Thursdays at 2 p.m.


Case criteria

  • Full-time or part-time students and staff who have tested positive for or been diagnosed with COVID-19. Infections were caught in and out of school.
  • Staff members include teachers, administrators, coaches and support staff.
  • Excludes students/staff who are completely remote, but includes them if they were “on-site” while infectious.

    • ODH reports “new” and “cumulative” cases. Cases only move over to “cumulative” once the person is no longer COVID-positive. NBC4’s count of new cases every week reflects the change in “cumulative” cases. More info

    1,589 (57%) of the 2,769 schools, districts, private schools, vocational schools, preschools and other non-college institutions that ODH tracks have reported a case this school year. That's 18 more schools than last week.

    The median number of cases among schools with at least one infection is 35 cases, while the median number for school districts is 163 cases.

    154,047 (82%) of Ohio’s school cases are students and 33,047 (18%) are staff members, which include teachers, administrators, coaches and support staff. Last school year, students were roughly 2 in 3 cases, and staff were 1 in 3.

    Cincinnati Public Schools, a district of more than 34,000 students, leads the state with 4,644 cases, ahead the Cleveland Municipal School District with 2,931.

    Dublin City Schools leapfrogged Columbus City Schools for the third spot this week, as the two districts have reported 2,583 and 2,557 cases, respectively. They’re among five Franklin County districts in the top nine.