New COVID-19 cases ticked up Wednesday but still remained below recent highs of new cases. Ohio is launching a new campaign focused on health in minority communities.

Another 958 Ohioans were diagnosed with the coronavirus as of Wednesday, edging closer to a three-week average of new cases per day.

But Wednesday’s new cases were still below the most recent three-week average of 1,095 new ones reported per day. New cases have remained below 1,000 every day this week so far, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

The total number of cases across Ohio now stands at 110,881. More than 1.88 million COVID-19 tests have been administered across the state.

The average positive test rate for Ohioans with the virus over the past seven days fell to 4.3% as of Monday, the most recent day for which data is available, according to the state health department. June 19 was the last time the average positive test rate was that low.

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By Wednesday, an additional 36 people died of COVID-19, which is above the three-week average of 23 new deaths per day, state data shows. A total of 3,907 Ohioans have died of the virus since the pandemic began in March.

Another 93 Ohioans were hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Wednesday. That’s just below a three-week average of 94 new hospitalizations per day, according to the state health department.

The state reported 22 more admissions to intensive care units Wednesday, which was above a three-week average of 15 new ICU admissions a day, state data shows.

Franklin County remains the hardest hit of Ohio’s 88 counties. Franklin County reported 19,980 cases and 545 deaths as of Wednesday.

Cuyahoga County has the second-highest number of cases at 14,585 and the second most deaths at 542. At 10,314, Hamilton County has the third-highest number of cases while Lucas County has the third most deaths with 332, according to the state.

Gov. Mike DeWine did not host a briefing on the virus Wednesday but is expected to Thursday.

Following the release of a report from the governor’s minority health strike force last week, the Ohio Department of Health announced a new campaign Wednesday focused on communities of color. The “More Than a Mask” campaign will target minority communities through paid advertisements and other unspecified grassroots efforts, according to the state health department.

DeWine’s strike force on racial disparities in public health was formed following protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and evidence that minorities have been disproportionately impacted by the virus. African Americans represent 14% of Ohio’s population but around 24% of positive COVID-19 cases, 32% of hospitalizations, and 19% of deaths, according to the state.

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby