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The statewide average for new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period increased slightly, according to the latest statistics from the Ohio Department of Health, but area counties continued to have decreasing or static numbers.
New cases reported in Ohio from March 24 to April 6 averaged 41.3 per 100,000 people, up from 37.2 from March 17-30.
Washington County had the fifth-lowest rate in the state at 11.7 per 100,000 people. That's seven new cases among the 59,911 residents of the county, where Marietta Memorial Hospital reported last week it had zero COVID-19 patients for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
In the previous two-week period, Washington County had 10 new cases, for a rate of 16.7 per 100,000, eighth-lowest in the state.
With 13,654 residents, Monroe County had the second-highest rate in Ohio the previous week, despite recording 15 new cases. In the most recent span, the county had seven new cases, dropping its rate to 51.3 per 100,000, 17th in the state.
Athens County was right behind at 18th, with 32 new cases among its 65,327 residents resulting in a rate of 49 per 100,000. That's down from 45 cases and a rate of 68.9, fifth in the state, in the prior period.
Morgan County, population 14,508, had five new cases, down from four, decreasing its rate from 34.5 to 27.6 per 100,000. It fell in rank from 39th highest to 57th.
Noble County had three new cases in each period among its 14,424 residents. Its rate stayed steady at 20.8 per 100,000, but that number rose from 74th to 71st in the state.
Hocking County had the highest rate in the state from March 17-30 with 162.8 -- 46 new cases among its 28,264 residents. Its rate dropped to 106.1 per 100,000 with 30 new cases from March 24 to April 6, giving Hocking had the second-highest rate, behind Adams County's 108.3.