The total number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio is trending downward, according to Gov. Mike DeWine, who used Monday's news conference to announce plans to reopen sectors of the state's economy.
"You have dramatically slowed it, but it's still out there," DeWine said.
Monday, the Ohio Department of Health reported 362 new cases of COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 16,325 cases since the first case was identified on March 9.
Here's a look at Ohio's new case count every day for the past 50 days.
Looking at daily cases provides incomplete information. Some counties could fail to report for a number of days, like over a weekend for example, and then release their data all at once, skewing the numbers for any one day.
That's why DeWine said the state relies on 5-day averages for a more accurate picture of the trends that are occurring.
Here is a look at the ten 5-day chunks since March 9th.
As you can see from the graph above, the daily case growth was relatively slow for the first 15 days. Then, the case totals jumped to an average of 193 per new cases per day on the 5-day period ending March 28. By April 7, the 5-day average grew to 376 cases per day then leveled off.
"We know we sort of climbed a mountain, we've plateaued, and we are coming down that mountain now," said Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health. "But we know it can be difficult coming down that mountain."
A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in prisons was reflected in the 5-day period ending April 22, but the new cases have leveled off again over the past five days.
Those numbers are also reflective of a downward trend in Cuyahoga County, where 36 new cases were reported Monday.
The City of Cleveland reported 23 new cases, bringing their total to 598.
Also noteworthy on Monday, Summit County reported its 500th case. Check out this interactive map to see cumulative case totals in each of Ohio's 88 counties.
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