CINCINNATI – Hamilton County authorities announced on Wednesday that the number of new COVID-19 cases in the county is decreasing.
“The levels still remain extremely high and have an impact on our hospital systems and intensive care units,” said Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman. “But this is a promising sign that things are going, starting to go, in the right direction.”
On average, there are about 524 new daily cases of COVID-19 in the past seven days, which is down from about 716 new daily cases 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 huge increase in the number of COVID-19 cases after Thanksgiving, but he said, “We did an incredible job … We did what was necessary to control COVID in each one of our lives. “
Although there is a decrease in new cases, the number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 remains the same in about 750 patients per day. This is the same number of hospitalizations as on December 16. The number of patients in intensive care units also remains the same in about 175 patients.
Kesterman also said that the COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in the county and are being distributed to first aid.
The municipality received 1,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning, members of the health commission began giving doses to the city’s fire department.
“Paramedics and paramedics, because they are the first to respond that they so gracefully put themselves at risk to our community during the pandemic, they will be the first to receive this vaccine,” said Kesterman. “These doses are really the beginning of the end of the Hamilton County pandemic.”