Ohio could break its record for the most monthly reported COVID-19 cases as early as today.
As of Tuesday, December had 265,186 reported COVID-19 cases. The record for a month is 279,317 in December 2020.
But this month, with three days left, needs just 14,132 more COVID-19 cases to have the distinction of being the one with the most.
The Ohio Department of Health reported 15,403 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday.
That is the second most ever for a single day since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
The single-day record is 15,989 last Thursday.
For the month, Ohio has averaged almost 9,471 COVID-19 cases per day. But it averaged 11,915 daily cases last week.
That came during a rough stretch that included 12,502 cases reported Dec. 21; 12,864 cases Dec. 22; 15,989 cases Thursday; and 14,414 cases Friday.
The numbers are likely an undercount as they don’t include those who tested positive for COVID-19 with at-home kits and then don’t see a doctor or go to a hospital. Those cases aren’t included in the official state count, and the demand for the at-home test kits is at a high.
Numerous stores that were selling the tests have run out of them.
The Youngstown City Health District is giving away 4,000 free tests starting 8 a.m. today at the Covelli Centre. The limit is four tests per car.
When 3,000 kits were given away last week by the health department at the Eugenia Atkinson Recreation Center on Otis Street, people lined up early in their vehicles. That led the health district to start the distribution early. It ran out of the tests quickly.
