The number of COVID-19 cases is continuing to fall in the state.

The Ohio Department of Health reported Thursday the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people for the past two weeks was down to 82.3. It has declined for six straight weeks.

The ODH didn’t have a breakdown per 100,000 people Thursday for the state’s 88 counties.

Last week, Mahoning had the fourth-most cases at 150 per 100,000 people, while Columbiana was 14th at 118.8 and Trumbull was 15th with 118.7 cases per 100,000.

Also, the state eliminated the Ohio Public Health Advisory System on Thursday.

Mahoning and Trumbull counties had been at Level 3 (red) for several months. That is one level below the highest (purple) with no counties at that level.

As of last week, Columbiana County was at Level 2 (orange) for the ninth straight week.

ODH Director Stephanie McCloud said the advisory system is over because “it’s no longer needed.”

The system was put in place July 2, 2020, as an “early warning system,” she said.

But the state has better indicators to monitor COVID-19 such as vaccinations, number of cases and cases per 100,000 people, McCloud said.

The 732 new cases reported Thursday was down from the daily average of 961 for the past 21 days, according to the ODH.

The state had a total of 1,100,312 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday with 1,060,613 presumed recovered.

During the past six straight days, Ohio has reported fewer than 1,000 new daily COVID-19 cases.

Also, the state has been under 1,000 new cases for 11 of the past 13 days.

The ODH provides death information on Tuesdays and Fridays. There were 19,753 deaths as of Tuesday.

Mahoning County had 22,112 total COVID-19 cases as of Thursday with 20,908 presumed recovered and 592 deaths, according to the ODH.

Trumbull County had 16,371 total COVID-19 cases as of Thursday with 15,497 presumed recovered and 473 deaths.

Columbiana County had 8,959 total COVID-19 cases as of Thursday with 8,561 presumed recovered and 229 deaths.

VACCINATIONS

There were 5,248,623 people, 44.9 percent of the state’s population, who at least had started getting inoculated as of 6 a.m. Thursday, including 19,873 in the previous 24 hours, according to the ODH.

In Mahoning County, 43.65 percent of the population (99,813 people) had received at least one dose with 41.83 percent of the population in Trumbull County (82,813 people) and 35.64 percent in Columbiana County (36,307 people) as of 6 a.m. Thursday, according to the ODH.

There were 4,600,643 people, 39.36 percent of the state’s population, who finished the vaccinations as of 6 a.m. Thursday, including 19,467 in the prior 24 hours.

In Mahoning County, 38.18 percent of the population (87,303 people) had completed the process, while 36.09 percent of the population in Trumbull (71,445 people) and 31.67 percent of the population in Columbiana (32,270 people) had as of 6 a.m. Thursday.

The state is lifting all health orders related to the pandemic, except those for nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, starting Wednesday.

Currently, those who are fully vaccinated don’t have to wear face masks except when in a health care setting, traveling on public transportation and when required in businesses or a place of work that chooses to do that.

dskolnick@vindy.com