COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio reported a record high number of daily cases of the coronavirus on Friday as Republican Gov. Mike DeWine pleaded with residents to continue social distancing and mask wearing.
The 1,840 confirmed and probable cases tallied by the Department of Health is the most in a day since July. The daily number of cases is also well above the 21-day average of 1,119 cases.
DeWine on Thursday urged Ohioans to avoid crowded gatherings, citing the case of a wedding he said led to the coronavirus deaths of two grandfathers.
Several rural northwestern Ohio counties have among the highest rates of coronavirus cases, something DeWine noted during a trip Friday to Swanton, west of Toledo. DeWine, who lives on his family farm in Cedarville in southwestern Ohio, noted that mask compliance in his area is not great but getting better. Ohio is under a statewide mask order.
“The biggest threat to our economy is people not wearing masks,” the governor said.
Ohio has reported more than 166,000 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases as of Friday, including 4,994 deaths.
