With the state ready to reopen for business Friday, the Mahoning Valley reported the most COVID-19 deaths in a single day Wednesday.

The Valley confirmed 19 new fatalities since Tuesday. There were 14 in Mahoning County, along with three in Trumbull and two in Columbiana counties.

However, eight of the 19 fatalities occurred since Sunday with the rest happening before that, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Reported deaths lag behind actual ones, sometimes by a few weeks, which sometimes causes a spike such as what happened Wednesday, said Dr. Amy Acton, the health department’s director.

Data shows the actual deadliest date in the Valley for COVID-19 was April 15, when nine people died in the three counties. That was followed by seven deaths each on April 14, 17 and 18.

The Valley had a total of 135 COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday — 81 in Mahoning, 30 in Trumbull and 24 in Columbiana counties.

Even with 14 newly reported deaths, Mahoning dropped from having the second-most deaths of any county to third. Cuyahoga has been first since April 16, but it went down to second Wednesday with Lucas County the new No. 1 at 114 fatalities.

Trumbull still has the 11th-most COVID-19 fatalities, and Columbiana remains at 14th-most as of Wednesday.

COVID-19 deaths in Ohio were at 937 Wednesday, up from 799 Tuesday.

Of the 138 newly reported deaths Wednesday in Ohio, 77 of them occurred since Sunday.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday the state gradually would reopen for business during the pandemic starting Friday with nonemergency health procedures that don’t require an overnight stay commencing and the reopening of dentist and veterinarian offices that day.

Manufacturing, distribution, construction and general offices can reopen Monday.

On May 12, consumer, retail and some service businesses will be allowed to open.

Meanwhile, hospitalizations and people in intensive-care units in Ohio didn’t change much in one day.

Statewide, 3,421 people were hospitalized as of Wednesday because of the virus, up from 3,340 Tuesday. There were 1,014 people in intensive-care units Wednesday, up from 1,004 Tuesday.

There were 17,303 confirmed cases of the virus in Ohio on Wednesday, up from 16,769 Tuesday, according to the ODH.

The department had issues with its website Wednesday as it initially posted data from April 24 and had it up for about 15 minutes before posting the correct information.

Mahoning County posted 804 cases and 238 hospitalizations Wednesday, up from 784 and 234, respectively, Tuesday.

That is the seventh-most cases and the fifth-most hospitalizations among Ohio counties. Mahoning is the 12th-most populous county in Ohio.

Trumbull County reported 305 cases and 136 hospitalizations Wednesday, up from 301 and 135, respectively, Tuesday.

That is the 11th-most cases and the seventh-most hospitalizations of any Ohio county. It’s the 15th-most populous county in the state.

Columbiana County recorded 247 cases and 95 hospitalizations Wednesday, up from 235 and 93 a day earlier.

That is the 14th-most cases and the eighth-most hospitalizations for the 26th-most populous county in the state.

COVID CLARIFICATIONS

For the second day in a row, DeWine had to clarify statements he made a day earlier.

On Tuesday, he said regarding high school commencements that if a school did social distancing, graduation or “something else” could take place.

He said Wednesday that “mass gatherings simply cannot be held,” and that he’d prefer schools do virtual graduation ceremonies.

Other options, he said, include drive-in ceremonies where students drive to a designated location at a designated time to get their diplomas; or events could be held with 10 people or less at a time, who are socially distanced, and a graduate could receive a diploma.

“I know I created confusion around the state” Tuesday, DeWine said.

Also, yet another clarification was made regarding face masks at work.

On Monday, DeWine said they were mandatory. A day later, he said it was a “strong recommendation.”

On Wednesday, he had Lt. Gov. Jon Husted explain that face coverings were required for those on the job with exemptions.

The exemptions are:

∫ Employees in a position who are prohibited by law or regulation from wearing a face mask on the job.

∫ Wearing a face covering is against documented industry-best practices.

∫ Not advisable for health purposes.

∫ In violation of a company’s safety policies.

∫ An employee is sitting alone in an enclosed workspace.

∫ There is a practical reason it can’t be worn.

Husted said written justification must be provided upon request.

“Businesses today will be safer from any kind of infectious disease than ever before,” DeWine said. “There are protocols in place as we open back up that have been thought out. They are significant. The protocols involve social distancing, sanitation, monitoring every employee’s health every day.”

dskolnick@tribtoday.com