Ohio hasn’t seen a spike in COVID-19 cases such as the one in the past three days since the beginning of the year, with the 9,584 cases reported Friday — the second most for a single day this year.

The only other day in 2021 that saw more cases was Jan. 7, when 10,251 were reported.

From Wednesday to Friday, the total COVID-19 cases reported in Ohio was 27,659. That’s almost as many cases reported in the past three days in the state as the total reported in June and July combined. Between those two months, 27,843 COVID-19 cases were reported, with 9,890 in June and 17,953 in July.

The total for Wednesday to Friday is the most for any three days since 28,160 were reported Jan. 7 to 9.

While three days is a small sample, the number of COVID-19 cases reported to start this month is the most for the first three days of any month during the pandemic, which began in March 2020.

The old record was in December 2020, when 25,786 cases were reported in the first three days of the month. December 2020 is also the month with the most reported COVID-19 cases during the pandemic, with 279,317.

During the first six days of this week, 44,380 cases were reported in the state. That’s an average of almost 7,397 a day.

Even at just six days, it’s the most for a full week since 48,165 COVID-19 cases were reported Sept. 12 to 17.

It almost certainly will surpass that number today and be the most for a week since Sept. 5 to 11, when 53,344 cases were reported.

The only other weeks with more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases reported occurred during the surge from November 2020 to this past January.

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health, said the increase in COVID-19 cases since late July is largely caused by the delta variant among the unvaccinated.

The recent increase comes shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday when groups of people got together.

“It comes on top of already a very large number of cases and a growing number of cases that we’ve been watching for a period of weeks,” Vanderhoff said.

The new omicron variant has not been detected in Ohio yet, he said.

ODH data shows the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Ohioans has increased by 67.4 percent in the past four weeks.

Meanwhile, the Trumbull County Combined Health District will have COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the Eastwood Mall in Niles 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

dskolnick@vindy.com