Bruce Vanderhoff

Ohio hospitalizations for COVID-19 have hit a pandemic record high for the second day running.

State health officials said the ongoing COVID pandemic in Ohio continues to worsen and could do so even more as winter sets in.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced that the COVID-19 variant called omicron is in Ohio with two cases in central Ohio.

COVID hospitalizations are the highest they’ve been since January before vaccines were widely available. Health officials say while the Omicron variant has not been detected yet in Ohio, it's a matter of when, not if, but initial research shows considerable protection from the vaccine series.

Thanksgiving is just a week away as Ohio’s COVID-19 cases climb again. State health officials are encouraging Ohioans not yet vaccinated to take that step.

This coming Sunday is the deadline for the first scholarship drawing.

This increase in cases comes after cases in the Buckeye state had plateaued and appeared to be waning a couple of weeks ago.

Ohio is changing its guidance on quarantining kids who have been exposed to COVID in a school setting. The change comes after a pilot program in Warren County showed students could stay in school, wearing masks, without spreading the virus.

Ohioans must carry their cards with them as proof of vaccination for various reasons, increasing the likelihood those paper records will be lost.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a new round of vaccine incentive programs Thursday, although it is not clear if other incentives offered earlier this year increased vaccination rates.