For the first time in Ohio, rural counties have the highest rates of coronavirus infection, Gov. Mike DeWine announces

Ohio counties by coronavirus growth

This chart shows the number of new coronavirus cases per 100,000 people by county in Ohio for Aug. 4 through Monday.Governor's office

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ten rural counties top the list of places where coronavirus is spreading the fastest, something now occurring for the first time, Gov. Mike DeWine said during his Tuesday briefing.

This list is led by western Ohio’s Mercer County, where there were 245.3 new cases per 100,000 from Aug. 4 through Monday - based on when symptoms began, not when cases were reported.

Other counties in the top 10 were Darke (207.4), Lawrence (200.1), Meigs (161.5), Preble (159), Shelby (137.9), Sandusky (129.9), Perry (113.5), Champaign (113.2) and Auglaize (109.5).

“For the first time, the top ten counties are basically rural counties. This is what we continue to see. We continue to see this significant spread out into our rural areas; so it is obviously very concerning,” DeWine said.

Previously, cases had been growing fastest in the large urban areas such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

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