COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – With cases of the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 falling from their January peak, new infections reported by schools have fallen for the third consecutive week.

K-12 schools reported 7,252 cases to the Ohio Department of Health on Thursday for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 6. That’s a 61% drop from last week’s 18,744 new cases and a 74% cut from the record 27,774 three weeks ago.

The school year total stands at 236,474 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
  • Feb. 10:  +7,252

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

    1,608 (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 five 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 195 cases.

    195,009 (82%) of Ohio’s school cases are students and 41,465 (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 5,439 cases, ahead of Dublin City Schools with 3,713. Dublin is among five central Ohio districts in the top 10.

    Masking is local call, Vanderhoff reaffirms

    The share of public school districts with mask mandates has been falling steadily as omicron cases fall. Around 51% of students attend a school that require masks for all or some students, per data last week from the Ohio Department of Education. Just under 50% learn where masks are optional.

    While answering a reporter’s question in a Thursday press conference, ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff reaffirmed the agency’s position that masking in schools is “a local decision,” not the state’s call.

    “And it's one that we believe should be made in partnership with parents, as well as teachers and local school leaders,” he said.

    Despite Ohio’s rapid decline in coronavirus cases, Vanderhoff noted, the state is seeing more than five times what the federal Centers for Disease Control considers “high” community spread.

    “Our perspective is that Ohioans need to make personal choices to protect themselves, their families, and their communities,” he said, adding that ODH will continue to promote ways to protect against the virus, including vaccinations, masks and avoiding crowds.

    CDC guidance remains that masks be worn by students and staff in school, but schools are able to make their own decisions on mandates.