57 more Ohioans dead with the coronavirus, bringing total to 19,980: Friday update

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fifty-seven more Ohioans are dead with the coronavirus, according to new numbers from the federal government on Friday.

This brings the total to 19,980 deaths since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time the state received a fatality report was Wednesday, when it was 19,923 deaths.

The number of cases increased by 621 since Thursday, to a total of 1,104,001, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

The Department of Health follows the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of a case. That includes those diagnosed through genetic PCR or antigen tests, or people diagnosed in a clinical setting — experiencing symptoms who are linked to a confirmed COVID-19 case, among other criteria.

Another 18,316 Ohioans received a first dose of vaccine between Thursday and Friday mornings. This brings the total number vaccinated to 5,353,663, or 45.8% of Ohio’s total population.

Another 21,271 vaccines were completed between Thursday and Friday mornings, increasing the total population that’s completely vaccinated to 40.34%.