By Susan Tebben
The state has ballooned with COVID-19 cases, and schools have reported their own increases in student cases, some hitting triple digits.
Delaware County’s Olentangy Local Schools has seen the most total cases as of the most recent state schools report, released on Thursday, with 125 reported COVID-19 cases since reporting began.
Franklin County had several schools at the top of the list of school cases, with Dublin City Schools jumping to 119 total cases after a weekly jump of 41 reported cases. South-Western City Schools reported 107 total student cases, Hilliard City Schools reported 81 cases and Westerville City Schools reported 65 student cases in the highest numbers from the county.
Butler County’s Lakota Local Schools reported 84 total cases among students, and Warren County’s Mason City Schools had 71 confirmed student cases.
Rounding out the top 10 schools with student cases, Pickerington Local Schools and Hamilton County’s Oak Hills Local Schools reported 58 cases each, and Butler County’s Fairfield City Schools reported 55.
As of Friday afternoon, the state has reported a total of 20,694 cases in children (both school age and younger), 343 hospitalizations and three deaths.
Children ages 14 to 17 hold the largest percentage of cases in children, with 45%.
Franklin County represented the most cases in children younger than 18, with 3,610, followed by Hamilton (1,947), Cuyahoga (1,683) and Montgomery (1,242).
As of Friday, total statewide cases had surpassed 8,000. and 282,528 total reported cases, and 21,856 total reported hospitalizations.
Currently 68 of 88 counties in the state are considered “red” on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System, meaning they meet several indicators for high exposure and spread.
For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.