As the state permits more businesses to reopen that will bring people together with social-distancing requirements, four more COVID-19 deaths were reported in the Mahoning Valley.

Mahoning and Trumbull counties each reported two deaths Wednesday.

Overall, 272 COVID-19 fatalities were reported as of Tuesday in the Valley: 173 in Mahoning, 47 in Trumbull and 52 in Columbiana counties.

Trumbull went 10 days with three reported COVID-19 deaths, but had five between Tuesday and Wednesday.

It has the 12th-most fatalities among the state’s 88 counties.

Mahoning County had no COVID-19 fatalities between Saturday and Monday, but had four between Tuesday and Wednesday.

It continues to have the fourth-most fatalities in the state.

Columbiana County has had one reported COVID-19 fatality since last Thursday. It has the 10th-most in the state.

There were 2,044 fatalities in the state as of Wednesday, up from 2,002 a day earlier.

Numerous businesses were permitted to reopen Tuesday including gyms, fitness centers, swimming pools, bureaus of motor vehicles, amateur non-contact and limited-contact sports facilities, bowling alleys, batting cages and miniature golf courses. Skill training and conditioning for contact sports for school is permitted to start.

Child care facilities and day camps can reopen Sunday. Wedding receptions with a limited gathering of 300 are permitted starting Monday as well as the reopening of catering and banquet centers.

While the state has policies in place calling for social distancing, masks for employees with exceptions and for cleaning and sanitizing, these businesses are bringing more people closer together. The same goes for indoor service at restaurants and bars that resumed last Thursday. And there is no requirement that customers wear masks though businesses can require them.

COVID-19 CASES

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in the state increased Wednesday to 33,439, up from 33,006 on Tuesday. The Ohio Department of Health doesn’t keep track of how many people have recovered from the virus.

Largely because of an influx of cases at the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton, Columbiana County’s total continues to rise.

As of Wednesday, it had 682 cases, up from 660 Tuesday.

The Columbiana County Health District said of its cases, 335 — 49.1 percent — are Elkton inmates.

The county has seen its total cases increase by 204 cases in the past three days largely because of the increase at the prison. That’s the largest increase for any county in the state between Monday and Wednesday.

Columbiana is the 26th-most populous county, but has the 11th-most cases in the state.

There were 1,393 cases in Mahoning County as of Wednesday, up from 1,369 Tuesday.

Mahoning has the seventh-most cases in the state — a position it’s held daily since April 20.

There were 546 cases Wednesday in Trumbull County, four more than the previous day.

Trumbull has the 14th-most cases in the state.

As of Wednesday, there were 33,439 COVID-19 cases in the state, up from 33,006 Tuesday.

The increase of 433 cases is lower than the state’s daily reported average of 565 for the past three weeks, but the 42 deaths are three more than the state’s daily reported average of 39 fatalities for the past three weeks.

Statewide, 5,700 people have been hospitalized as of Wednesday because of the virus, up from 5,579 Tuesday. The increase of 121 is higher than the state’s daily reported average of 78 hospitalizations for the past three weeks.

Also, there were 1,492 people in intensive-care units Wednesday, up from 1,450 Tuesday. The ICU admission of 42 people Wednesday was more than the state’s daily reported average of 16 admissions to the ICU for the past three weeks.