COLUMBUS – Health officials in Ohio and elsewhere are watching sudden daily increases in new cases of COVID-19 as more states lift restrictions and conduct wider testing.
Ohio Department of Health data released Monday shows the state has recorded 3,115 new cases since Thursday. The state reported 729 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 since Sunday for a total of 45,537 with 2,704 deaths.
The daily case counts reflect test results received by the Health Department in the previous 24 hours. Those tests were typically conducted within the past 36 hours, though people could have experienced symptoms within the past two weeks.
The increases come as Ohio so far has avoided big spikes seen in multiple other states as their economies reopen.
The United States reported more than 30,000 new coronavirus cases on Friday and Saturday, with daily counts of new cases in the U.S. the highest they’ve been in more than a month, driven by alarming recent increases in the South and West.
Scientists generally agree the nation is still in its first wave of coronavirus infections, albeit one that’s dipping in some parts of the country while rising in others.
Tallies by the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University show the number of coronavirus infections worldwide approaching 9 million, with more than 468,000 deaths.
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Amid precautions and restrictions in place due to the coronavirus, Ohio’s largest school district is holding virtual commencement ceremonies for its thousands of graduating seniors.
The Columbus City Schools Class of 2020 begins a week of live-streaming of virtual graduations Monday through Saturday, starting with the Columbus Downtown High School Class of 2020 Monday.
Today Show Host and Weatherman Al Roker, along with his wife ABC News Correspondent Deborah Roberts will deliver the Keynote Address. Motivational Speaker Dr. Eric Thomas will join them in providing a message of perseverance to the Class.
Each graduation will be live-streamed from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. on the district’s Facebook page and YouTube channel,
The district on Monday began handing out Senior Celebration Boxes to the Class of 2020. The boxes available for seniors to pick up contain a CCS Class of 2020 “Can’t Stop Us!” t-shirt, tumbler, journal, and other items.