COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Coronavirus cases reported every week by Ohio schools came in under 20,000 for the first time in a month on Thursday, as the state continues to see infections drop from an omicron variant wave peak in January.

K-12 schools reported 18,744 new cases to the Ohio Department of Health in the week ending Sunday, Jan. 30. That’s the fewest cases in four weeks, but it’s still among the most reported this school year.

The school year total stands at 229,222 cases among students and staff. Infections were caught in and out of school.

Weekly COVID-19 cases reported by Ohio schools:

  • Sept. 16:  +10,682
  • Sept. 23:  +9,827
  • Sept. 30:  +7,564
  • Oct. 7:  +7,405
  • Oct. 14:  +6,289
  • Oct. 21:  +5,116
  • Oct. 28:  +4,660
  • Nov. 4:  +4,696
  • Nov. 11:  +5,348
  • Nov. 18:  +6,781
  • Nov. 24:  +6,668
  • Dec. 2:  +5,134
  • Dec. 9:  +10,190
  • Dec. 16:  +8,428
  • Dec. 23:  +9,984
  • Dec. 30:  +4,016
  • Jan. 6:  +5,559
  • Jan. 13:  +23,268
  • Jan. 20:  +27,774
  • Jan. 27:  +23,384
  • Feb. 3: +18,744

Schools report cases among students and staff to ODH on Tuesdays, reflecting the week ending on the previous Sunday. ODH releases numbers on Thursdays at 2 p.m.


Case criteria

  • Full-time or part-time students and staff who have tested positive for or been diagnosed with COVID-19. Infections were caught in and out of school.
  • Staff members include teachers, administrators, coaches and support staff.
  • Excludes students/staff who are completely remote, but includes them if they were “on-site” while infectious.

    • ODH reports “new” and “cumulative” cases. Cases only move over to “cumulative” once the person is no longer COVID-positive. NBC4’s count of new cases every week reflects the change in “cumulative” cases. More info

    1,603 (58%) of the 2,769 schools, districts, private schools, vocational schools, preschools and other non-college institutions that ODH tracks have reported a case this school year. That's six more schools than last week.

    The median number of cases among schools with at least one infection is 42 cases, while the median number for school districts is 191.5 cases.

    189,028 (82%) of Ohio’s school cases are students and 40,194 (18%) are staff members, which include teachers, administrators, coaches and support staff. Last school year, students were roughly 2 in 3 cases, and staff were 1 in 3.

    Cincinnati Public Schools, a district of more than 34,000 students, leads the state with 5,291 cases, ahead of Dublin City Schools with 3,559. Dublin is among four Franklin County districts in the top eight.

    99.8% of Ohio’s public school students are in school five days a week, according to data last week from the Ohio Department of Education. Just two districts were hybrid or remote.

    53% of students are in a district that requires masks for all or some students, while 47% learn where masks are optional.