Summer is winding down, but Ohio’s COVID-19 cases aren’t.

The state’s weekly average jumped from around 5,000 at the beginning of August to over 7,000 this past week, driven primarily by the KP.3.1.1 variant, the current dominant variant in the United States.

Other culprits for the continuing surge in cases include the LB.1 variant, one of the members of the Omicron family strain, though there’s no evidence that these variants are causing more severe levels of disease, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

More: Gov. Mike DeWine tests positive for COVID again as Ohio sees uptick in cases

What are Ohio’s current COVID-19 numbers?

The state health department reported 8,352 cases during the week of Aug. 15 through Aug. 21, a 13% increase from the 7,347 cases reported the week before.

May’s case count totaled a little over 3,800, but cases nearly doubled in June, with 6,472 reported. Cases then nearly tripled in July at well over 18,000.

August’s total amounts to over 21,000 cases thus far.

COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths also increased slightly, though case totals sit at small fractions of the peak pandemic numbers. By comparison, there were over 109,000 cases reported in August 2021.

However, the state health department said that COVID remains “a very real health threat,” and “any increase in cases reaffirms the importance of staying up to date with vaccination, which remains the best way to prevent severe illness from COVID.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months or older receive the most recent COVID-19 shot, which the Food and Drug Administration just approved on Aug. 22. Vaccinations with said shot could start as early as September.

Samantha Hendrickson is The Dispatch’s medical business and health care reporter. She can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com.

High school football season is upon us once again.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a position-by-position look at some of the top players in Ohio high school football.

We started with the quarterbacks, defensive linemen, running backs, edge rushers, wide receivers, linebackers and tight ends. Now we move to the cornerbacks.

There are plenty of standout football players in Ohio, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. Tag us on X or Instagram at @SBLiveOH to discuss the other cornerbacks worthy of fans’ attention in 2024. You can also submit player nominations to ryan@scorebooklive.com.

(Note: These lists were compiled prior to the first week of the 2024 season)

Ace Alston, Anderson, sophomore 

Alston is one of the top prospects in the 2027 class. A 5-foot-11, 165-pounder, Alston has a list of 18 scholarship offers that includes Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Oregon and Tennessee. A season ago, Alston tallied 46 tackles, 11 pass breakups, two tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and an interception. 

Tylan Boykin, Archbishop Hoban, senior 

The 6-foot, 170-pound Boykin is a three-star prospect with nine scholarship offers and is committed to Eastern Michigan. Boykin, who started at cornerback as a sophomore, was at quarterback last season and completed 90 of 143 passes for 1,223 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions while also rushing for 502 yards and four scores. 

James Brewer III, Walsh Jesuit, junior 

A 6-foot-2, 170-pounder who is being recruited as an athlete, Brewer III is a three-star prospect who has offers from Massachusetts and five Mid-American Conference schools. He helped the Warriors go 12-2 and reach a Division II regional final last fall. 

Jahmale Clark, Trotwood-Madison, senior 

A Massachusetts commit, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound Clark has six scholarship offers. Last season, he helped the Rams finish 8-3. 

Demari Clemons, Massillon, junior 

A three-star recruit who has a list of eight scholarship offers including from Michigan State and Penn State, the 5-foot-9, 155-pound Clemons moved in after previously playing for Buffalo (New York) Lewis Bennett. He finished with 39 tackles and two interceptions a season ago as Lewis Bennett went 11-1. 

Dawayne Galloway, Walnut Ridge, senior 

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Galloway was first-team all-state last season in Division IV when he recorded five interceptions including one that he returned for a touchdown. A four-star recruit who has 29 offers and is committed to Purdue, Galloway transferred to Walnut Ridge in the offseason.

 T.J. Green, Reynoldsburg, senior

This versatile 5-foot-11, 180-pound two-way standout is a three-star prospect who has 13 scholarship offers and is committed to Boston College. Last season, Green totaled 1,019 yards and four touchdowns atwide receiver and made 71 tackles with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and five pass breakups on defense. 

Elbert “Rock” Hill IV, Archbishop Hoban, junior 

A four-star prospect and the No. 1 recruit overall in the 2026 class, Hill has a list of 28 offers that includes Alabama, Michigan and Ohio State. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Hill was first-team all-state in Division II last season when he totaled seven interceptions including two for touchdowns, 10 pass breakups and nine touchdowns overall. 

Terrell Holcomb, Gahanna Lincoln, senior 

Holcomb, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, is a three-star recruit with 11 scholarship offers who has committed to Cincinnati. He had 64 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions during the regular season last fall for the Lions, who went on to finish 12-1. 

Omar J.J. Jah, Olentangy, senior 

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Jah finished with 49 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups last fall as the Braves went 11-2. Also a running back and wide receiver, Jah is a three-star prospect who has a list of 12 offers that includes Army, Navy and Marshall.  

Jah’vion Jarmon, Taft, senior 

A three-star prospect who holds seven scholarship offers, the 6-foot, 160-pound Jarmon had two interceptions, 12 pass breakups and 27 tackles last fall as the Senators finished 9-3. 

Maximillian Johnson, Middletown, senior 

Johnson, who stands 6-foot, 170 pounds, is a three-star recruit who has a list of 12 offers including from Army, Navy and Ohio University.  

Tyson Long, Pickerington North, senior 

Long holds 16 scholarship offers, including from Kentucky, Marshall and nine Mid-American Conference programs, and is considered a three-star prospect. A 6-foot, 170-pounder, Long helped the Panthers go 11-2 last fall. 

Antonio Martin, Uniontown Green, senior 

A 5-foot-11, 175-pounder, Martin finished with seven interceptions, six pass breakups and 33 tackles last fall to earn second-team all-state honors in Division II while helping the Bulldogs go 10-4 and reach a regional final.  

Henry Perrymond, Cleveland Heights, junior

Perrymond, a 5-foot-11, 167-pounder, was first-team all-state last season in Division I when he had five interceptions and 11 pass breakups. A three-star prospect, Perrymond has 11 scholarship offers including from Michigan State, Penn State and the University of Miami. 

Donmiel Rogers, Winton Woods, senior 

The 5-foot-9, 161-pound Rogers is a three-star prospect who has a list of seven offers, including from Boston College, Georgia Tech and West Virginia. Last season, Rogers was first-team all-state in Division II as he finished with 41 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups. 

Airriss Rosemond, Princeton, senior 

Rosemond contributed two tackles for loss and one forced fumble last season as the Vikings went 12-1. A 5-foot-11, 160-pounder, Rosemond is a three-star recruit who has a list of eight offers that includes Army and four Mid-American Conference programs. 

Victor Singleton, Toledo Central Catholic, junior 

The Division II state champion in the boys long jump at the OHSAA outdoor track and field meet last spring, Singleton is a four-star football recruit who has a list of 18 offers that includes Missouri, Wisconsin and Ohio State. He totaled four interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, 15 pass breakups, four tackles for loss and one forced fumble as the Irish won the Division III state title last fall.

Jakob Weatherspoon, Avon, junior 

Weatherspoon, who stands 5-foot-11, 172 pounds, has a list of 13 scholarship offers that includes Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin. He competed at the Division I state outdoor track and field meet last spring in three sprinting events.Ace Alston, Cincinnati Anderson, sophomore 

Terrell Wharton, Akron East, senior

The 6-foot-1, 155-pound Wharton is a three-star prospect who has offers from a list of schools headlined by Indiana, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Wisconsin. He helped the Dragons finish 8-3 a season ago.

Stay tuned to SBLive Ohio all season long for all of your high school football coverage. You can check out our Ohio high school football scoreboards throughout the season.

CLEVELAND — Free street parking will soon be a thing of the past in Ohio City.

The City of Cleveland announced on Wednesday that it will be rolling out a pay-to-park mobile service in three phases over the next several weeks.

The on-street parking update will proceed in the coming weeks according to the following phases:

• Phase 1:  Main Commercial
  The first phase, set to occur over the next four weeks, will consist of the W. 25^th Street-Lorain Avenue commercial corridors where parking meters currently exist. In these areas, the coin-operated meters will be supplemented with the new ParkMobile technology to provide individuals with easier, more convenient options to pay for street parking. There is no change to enforcement, and it will continue as-is in these areas – i.e., those who commit parking violations will be subject to citations and fines.
• Phase 2:  Select Commercial
  Once the first phase is complete, the City will move on to the next phase, which will include extending paid street parking zones along portions of Lorain Avenue, W. 25^th Street, and nearby offshoots where time-limited parking sessions currently exist. In these areas, time-limited signage is posted, but there are currently no coin-operated meters. The new ParkMobile technology will be installed to provide individuals with a modernized parking option that will also help improve parking operations and management in a consistent manner. This phase is anticipated to take two to three weeks. Enforcement in these areas will be temporarily paused to allow time for individuals to get acclimated to the change. Those who commit parking violations during the grace period will receive warnings in lieu of citations and fines.
• Phase 3:  Select Mixed-Use
  Once Phase 2 is completed, the City will move on to the last phase, which involves mixed-use areas, including Detroit Avenue, Fulton Road, Church Avenue, Bridge Avenue and W. 28^th Street, where meters do not currently exist. This phase is also expected to take approximately two to three weeks, and enforcement will be temporarily paused to give people time to adapt to the new system. During this grace period, warnings will be issued for parking violations in these areas in lieu of citations and fines.

The goal, according to the City, is to create more turnover in front of businesses to increase street parking availability.
“[Parking] is difficult enough already. I usually come 15-20 minutes early just to try to find a spot and fight with other people to try to steal their spot,” City Goods employee Sydney Maddox said.

Maddox said tacking on a parking fee will only keep people from shopping on West 28^th Street,

“It’s a schlep to come down here and try to park which deters people already and then having to pay even more money on top of what they’re deciding to do down here – it just sucks,” Maddox added. “I think a lot about somewhere like the West Side Market which is just down the street. They always have the free hour-long parking and that’s such a great option for people because they’re able to explore the area and get a taste of what Cleveland is about. Unfortunately, parking around here is really difficult. I think adding the paid parking options will deter people from coming to this area.”

On the other hand, the Owner of Saucy Brew Works, Brent Zimmerman, applauded the City of Cleveland for making this move to add pay-to-park on Detroit Avenue.

“We want people to be in our businesses across 29^th, Detroit, 25^th, wherever you’re talking about in Ohio City spending dollars, but we don’t [want] people parking here all day long that do not spend dollars in some of these bars, restaurants, boutiques, salons, whatever it is. It’s not good for anybody. Free parking is a tax to society. People don’t look at it like that. I do,” Zimmerman added.

He said that while the parking options in Ohio City are reasonable, he suggests looking for public transportation or even riding a bike.

“Everyone, including myself, needs more exercise. If you live a long way away, then you figure it out. It’s a part of life. It’s part of how you decide whether you want to work at certain places or not,” Zimmerman added. “My goal isn’t to tax people to have to park, but we need to increase commerce in some of these places.”

Zimmerman explained that the pay-to-park service would help fill vacant retail spaces and keep vehicles from being parked in spaces for more than a few hours or even days.

News 5 asked both Zimmerman and Maddox if they’d be open to the idea of a residential/employee permit granting free parking.

Zimmerman said he would need more details but that capping the number of permits wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“If it’s a situation where there’s enough passes given out that we haven’t rectified the situation, then I don’t agree at all,” Zimmerman said.

Maddox said while she would appreciate the continued free parking, she’s still worried about how it’ll impact mom-and-pop shops.

“It would still pose the issue for potential customers,” she said.

The City of Cleveland said the ParkMobile system will afford the City an opportunity to study utilization patterns and enforcement trends, as well as analyze other metrics to make data-driven decisions for future street parking management adjustments.

“The system will allow the city to more effectively manage on-street parking by providing the ability to adjust paid parking hours to better align with business hours in the evenings and on weekends, and to adjust parking rates based on demand – to achieve the program goal of providing convenient and available on-street parking,” the City said in a press release Wednesday.

The City of Cleveland is seeking feedback on planned Phase Three locations. CLICK HERE for that form.

Detroit Shoreway and University Circle are next on the City’s list of installing pay-to-park spots.

ParkMobile signs were mistakenly installed at the wrong time in some areas of Ohio City last week. The City apologizes for the confusion.