COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest numbers related to the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

The ODH announced Friday that cases for the next several days will be inflated due to a processing lag caused by the unprecedented number of cases reported. There was also a processing enhancement implemented Thursday, according to the ODH, that will expand Ohio’s capacity to process a higher volume of lab results.

“As COVID-19 cases have reached all-time highs, driven largely by the highly contagious Omicron variant, the system reached its processing capacity, resulting in a multiple-day backlog of tens of thousands of results. In addition, there are some positive test results that involve a further manual review by state epidemiologists,” the ODH stated in a release.

Numbers as of Sunday, Jan. 16 follow:

TotalChange
New cases2,384,107+26,117
Hospitalizations102,129+125
ICU admissions12,276+10
Deaths*30,922N/A
*–Deaths are updated twice a week, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays

The 21-day case average is above 21,500.

The department reported 6,057 people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to 7,106,305, which is 60.79% of the state’s population. And 23,562 received booster shots.

The Ohio Hospital Association reported the following numbers related to COVID-19 patients:

Hospitalized patients
with COVID-19
No.		Percent of
total beds		Percent of total
beds available
Total6,15325.1%18.2%
In ICU1,20327.29%16.99%
On ventilator82916.51%61%

The White House announced the federal website to request free COVID-19 tests opens Jan. 19. Scientists warn that omicron’s whirlwind advance practically ensures it won’t be the last version of the coronavirus. Researchers from the University of Cardiff find masks may actually make wearers appear more attractive.