COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nearly 1.2 million people filed unemployment claims in the past eight weeks as Ohio’s stay-at-home order depressed the economy and led to widespread layoffs, the state reported Thursday.

For the week ending May 9, just over 51,000 people filed jobless claims, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. That’s down from the approximately 61,000 claims filed the previous week.

The numbers announced Thursday pushed total unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic to 1,169,694, above the total number of claims over the past three years. The state says it has now distributed more than $2.4 billion in unemployment checks to more than 587,000 claimants.

Nationally, nearly 3 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. Roughly 36 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the eight weeks since the coronavirus outbreak began, forcing millions of employers to close their doors.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has said that 90% of the state’s economy will be reopened by this weekend, when outdoor dining at restaurants join the list of business activities allowed to resume. Among the most eagerly awaited announcements is DeWine’s decision on day care facilities and gyms.

CASES

The number of confirmed and probable deaths associated with the coronavirus in Ohio has reached 1,483, an increase of 47 from a day earlier, state health officials said Wednesday. The number of confirmed and probable cases neared 26,000 and hospitalizations topped 4,600, the Ohio Department of Health said. For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.

CARE

The Ohio Department of Health is working with hospitals on distribution of a new supply of remdesivir, a drug being used experimentally to treat COVID-19 patients. The Health Department said a shipment from the federal government arrived Tuesday that included 20 cases of the drug, or enough to treat 100 patients.

EDUCATION

Should schools reopen in the fall, daily life would include at-home temperature checks, hand-sanitizing stations, and face masks required for students and teachers, according to a draft Department of Education report, cleveland.com reported.

Desks would also be spaced at least six feet apart, frequently touched surfaces like door handles and hand-rails would be regularly sanitized and visitors would be limited or even prohibited under the plan. The report is a draft and could easily change, the Education Department said.

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.