Ohio changing COVID-19 case reporting from daily to weekly as cases decline

On Mar 10, 2022

The Ohio Department of Health is switching its COVID-19 case reporting from daily to weekly starting March 17 as cases continue to decline. “As cases and hospitalizations dramatically decline, we are refining our public reporting processes to be more relevant for this new phase of the pandemic,” Dr. Vanderhoff said. “Ohio is one of only a handful of states that is still reporting COVID-19 data daily. Even with this change, the state team will continue to monitor the trajectory of COVID-19 closely. The ODH team has many systems including data analysis and surveillance that will help us monitor COVID-19 activity and identify pockets of higher spread so we can work with local communities to slow the spread of the virus.”Related video above: Cincinnati drops COVID-19 mask, testing requirementsAll cases, hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, and vaccinations that are currently updated every day will be updated weekly on Thursdays. Cases will still be assigned to their onset date and vaccinations to their administration date.COVID-19 deaths will be reported on Thursdays and will continue to be assigned to the appropriate date of death.K-12 schools won’t have to be required to report positive cases to their local health departments unless the school tests a student for COVID-19 and the result is positive. In addition, the COVID-19 School Reporting dashboard will be archived.Ohio health officials reported that for the first time since August 2021, the statewide average case number per 100,000 residents has dropped below 100, with an average of 78.2 cases per 100,000 people as of March 9. Nearly two-thirds of Ohio’s 88 counties are currently below 100 cases per 100,000 people.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

The Ohio Department of Health is switching its COVID-19 case reporting from daily to weekly starting March 17 as cases continue to decline.

“As cases and hospitalizations dramatically decline, we are refining our public reporting processes to be more relevant for this new phase of the pandemic,” Dr. Vanderhoff said. “Ohio is one of only a handful of states that is still reporting COVID-19 data daily. Even with this change, the state team will continue to monitor the trajectory of COVID-19 closely. The ODH team has many systems including data analysis and surveillance that will help us monitor COVID-19 activity and identify pockets of higher spread so we can work with local communities to slow the spread of the virus.”

Related video above: Cincinnati drops COVID-19 mask, testing requirements

All cases, hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, and vaccinations that are currently updated every day will be updated weekly on Thursdays.

Cases will still be assigned to their onset date and vaccinations to their administration date.

COVID-19 deaths will be reported on Thursdays and will continue to be assigned to the appropriate date of death.

K-12 schools won’t have to be required to report positive cases to their local health departments unless the school tests a student for COVID-19 and the result is positive. In addition, the COVID-19 School Reporting dashboard will be archived.

Ohio health officials reported that for the first time since August 2021, the statewide average case number per 100,000 residents has dropped below 100, with an average of 78.2 cases per 100,000 people as of March 9. Nearly two-thirds of Ohio’s 88 counties are currently below 100 cases per 100,000 people.