Gov. Mike DeWine tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday.
The governor’s office said in a statement that DeWine is taking Paxlovid, a medication used to treat COVID-19. He is set to work from home for the rest of the week.
DeWine started experiencing mild cold-like symptoms on Monday.
COVID cases in Ohio have been rising since late June. Statewide, the number of reported new cases rose from 5,962 at the beginning of the month to 7,347 on Aug. 15, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
New hospitalizations rose from about 141 to 238 during that period.
But case levels have not approached those reached earlier this year. The Ohio Department of Health said there were 18,883 cases reported in Ohio in July, compared to 41,344 in January 2024.
And those numbers don't come close to the levels during the last major surge: 514,668 cases in January 2022.
Cases are not just on the rise in Ohio – there’s a worldwide summer COVID-19 wave. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports high or very high levels of COVID-19 have been found in wastewater in almost every U.S. state.
Since the pandemic began, there are typically two waves of COVID-19 a year – a smaller summer wave and a larger winter one. Experts say the virus is here to stay.
Updated COVID vaccines should be available in early fall.
