CINCINNATI – Hamilton County officials announced Wednesday that the number of new COVID-19 cases in the county is declining.
“Levels remain extremely high and still have an impact on our hospital systems and our intensive care units,” said Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman. “But this is a promising signal that things are heading, starting to straighten, in the right direction.”
On average, there are about 524 new COVID-19 cases a day in the last seven days, down from about 716 new cases a day two weeks ago, according to officials. However, there are still 11,400 active cases of COVID-19 in the county.
Kesterman said he was nervous that the county would see a large increase in the number of COVID-19 cases after Thanksgiving, but said: “We did an amazing job … We did what was necessary to control COVID in each of the our lives. “
Although there is a decrease in new cases, the number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 remains the same at about 750 patients per day. This is the same number of hospitalizations as on December 16. The number of patients in intensive care units remains the same in approximately 175 patients.
Kesterman also said that COVID-19 vaccines have made their way to the county and are being distributed to the first respondents.
The county received 1,800 doses of Moderna vaccine on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning, the members of the health commission started giving the doses to the county firefighters.
“EMTs and paramedics, because they are the first respondents to be so benevolent to our community during the pandemic, will be the first to receive that vaccine,” Kesterman said. These doses are really the beginning of the end of the pandemic in Hamilton County.