COVID-19 patients continue to strain health care systems locally and across the state and country.
There were 6,747 coronavirus patients in Ohio’s hospitals Monday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That figure represents a 40% increase over the last 21 days.
Hospitalizations included 1,276 COVID patients receiving intensive care with 859 on ventilators.
The state reported 18,042 cases Monday, which brings the 21-day case average to 16,764.
Unvaccinated Ohioans are driving hospitalizations. At Kettering Health and Premier Health hospitals last week, 89% of COVID patients in the ICU were unvaccinated, according to the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association.
Dayton-area hospital authorities have begged residents to get vaccinated to prevent serious illness and reduce the burden on the health care system. Last week, Kettering Health and Premier Health announced that their hospital networks would postponeall nonemergency procedures and surgeries requiring an overnight stay due to the strain of the pandemic.
As of Monday, 60.4% of all Ohioans have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including 70.57% of adults and 64.19% of those 5 and older. In addition, 55.51% of Ohioans have completed the vaccine, including 65.36% of adults and nearly 59% of those 5 and older.
More than 2.9 million Ohioans have received a booster vaccine dose, including 13,048 in the last day, according to ODH data.
