After four straight days of COVID-19 cases lower than average, Ohio reported a higher number Wednesday.

The state experienced a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases during the past few days, but reported 5,648 new cases Wednesday. It’s the most for a day since Friday, which had 6,651 cases.

Friday is the only day so far in October with cases exceeding 6,500. There were 17 days in September with more than 6,500 cases.

The 5,648 COVID-19 cases Wednesday is up from the daily average of 5,456 for the past 21 days, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

There is some good news: The 21-daily average just two weeks ago was 6,600.

Wednesday’s total includes 404 cases in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties combined.

The state had a total of 1,480,371 COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday with 1,354,463 presumed recovered.

The ODH usually provides death information on Tuesdays and Fridays. There were 23,021 total COVID-19 deaths in the state as of Tuesday.

Mahoning County had 29,768 total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday with 26,683 presumed recovered and 667 deaths.

Trumbull County had 22,161 total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday with 19,669 presumed recovered and 541 deaths.

Columbiana County had 13,428 total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday with 11,792 presumed recovered and 257 deaths.

VACCINATIONS

There were 6,382,198 people, 54.6 percent of the state’s population, who had at least started getting inoculated as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, including 6,672 in the previous 24 hours, according to the ODH.

In Mahoning County, 52.56 percent of the population (120,195 people) had received at least one dose with 50.39 percent of the population in Trumbull County (99,778 people) and 42.96 percent in Columbiana County (43,774 people) as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the ODH.

There were 5,949,308 people, 50.9 percent of the state’s population,who finished the vaccinations as of 6 a.m. Wednesday, including 7,139 in the prior 24 hours.

In Mahoning County, 49.14 percent of the population (112,380 people) had completed the process while 46.71 percent of the population in Trumbull (92,491 people) and 40.29 percent of the population in Columbiana (41,054 people) had as of 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Mahoning County Public Health has a Pfizer booster vaccination clinic 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) Friday at the Austintown Senior Center, 112 Westchester Drive. Appointments are needed and can be made online at mahoninghealth.org or by phone at 330-270-2855, Option 5.