COLUMBUS, Ohio - Sixty-seven people in Ohio have tested positive for the new coronavirus, including 17 who are hospitalized.

That’s up from 50 on Monday afternoon. Fourteen people were hospitalized Monday afternoon.

The age range is 14-86, with a median age of 48.

Twenty-six females and 41 males are infected.

“It was just two weeks ago, we had our announcement about the Arnold," Gov. Mike DeWine said in his Tuesday briefing, referring to the recent order barring most spectators from the Arnold Sports Festival. "So when we try to understand where we’re going to be two weeks from today, that sort of gives you an idea. We’ll continue to work very, very differently.”

Postponed election

DeWine spoke Tuesday after the postponed primary election, a decision followed by chaos during the late hours Monday and early Tuesday.

DeWine and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said at Monday afternoon’s briefing that they wanted to postpone the primary, due to the health risk, even though for days up to that point, they had said the election was still going as scheduled.

But then a Franklin County judge tossed out an attempt to delay the election around 7 p.m. Monday. DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ordered that the polls be closed around 10 p.m. Following that was an overnight ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court, refusing to get involved in the matter.

“Our goal is that everyone who wants to vote will be able to vote," DeWine said at the briefing. "Our goal is no one will have to choose between their constitutional rights and risking their health.”

He said 35,000 polling workers were scheduled to run the voting booths for 13 hours, and some are 65 and older.

“The health department felt it was not safe,” he said.

He also said poll workers could be asymptomatic and spread COVID-19.

“As we move forward, there are very good solutions out there, even by the General Assembly or by the courts," he said.

More people are going to become ill, DeWine said. But they need the opportunity to vote. The longer that opportunity is spread out, the better, he said.

DeWine proposed moving Election Day to June 2. It’s unclear whether the legislature or courts will agree with that.

“We are open for the certainty of the discussion for how this gets worked it, but it’s really a fairly simple thing to do,” he said.

DeWine insists on allowing a significant period of time for people to absentee vote and have in-person voting.

The Madison County Board of Elections has closed, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.. A poll worker who had been in office exhibited signs of the virus and is now being tested.

“These are the reasons the director of the Department of Heath and the governor made the decisions they did," he said.

Counties

Sixteen counties have confirmed cases, although some of the counties reflect not where people live, but where they sought treatment.

Belmont (2)

Butler (6)

Coshocton (2)

Cuyahoga (31)

Darke (1)

Franklin (4)

Geauga (1)

Lake (1)

Lorain (4)

Lucas (1)

Mahoning (1)

Medina (3)

Stark (3)

Summit (4)

Trumbull (2)

Tuscarawas (1)

Hospital equipment

Acton will sign an order, DeWine said, specifying that some surgeries will be limited.

“One of the things we worry about is not having enough beds, not having enough ventilators, not having enough personal protection equipment for the individual doctors,” DeWine said.

He thanked dentists and veterinarians for postponing elective surgery, which he requested in a phone call with them over the weekend, and Acton said that many dentists and vets are donating their surplus equipment.

Acton said the state expects to soon receive $15 million from the federal government to fight COVID-19 -- $10 million go to 113 local health departments.

Andy Thomas, Ohio State University’s chief clinical officer, said a group of hospital leaders discussed how to ban elective surgeries. They’ve decided surgeries will be allowed under four circumstances: surgeries that will reduce risk of severe symptoms to the patient, preserve life, preserve limbs or organs, and preserve progression of disease or metastasis with cancer.

Members of the media watch the daily coronavirus briefing, in a room separate from Gov. Mike DeWine and state officials, which is an attempt to keep people farther apart. (Laura Hancock/cleveland.com)

Hospital beds

Mike Abrams, CEO of the Ohio Hospital Association, said Ohio hospitals can take an increase of about 25% in patients without extraordinary measures.

He used as an example a 60-bed hospital somewhere in the state, which can take roughly 30 more people.

Hospitals are ready to deploy hotels, making plans to keep that as a safe option, he said.

There are some tents outside the emergency rooms of many Ohio hospitals. They’ve been set up in the last few days to assess possible COVID-19 patients safely.

Global and national situation

Over 190,000 people were confirmed to have coronavirus across the globe by Tuesday afternoon, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracking tool. That includes 7,500 people who have died.

In the U.S., 5,600 people are confirmed to have virus -- though the numbers are believed to be low due to the shortage in testing. Ninety-four people have died.

Other coronavirus coverage:

Primary election postponed: Coronavirus closings and restrictions in Ohio for Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Citing health emergency, Ohio officials to order polls closed on Election Day, despite judge’s ruling

Judge denies request to delay Ohio primary election until June over coronavirus

Gov. Mike DeWine wants to postpone Ohio’s Tuesday primary election till June 2 due to coronavirus

50 people have tested positive in Ohio for coronavirus, 14 hospitalized: Gov. Mike DeWine’s Monday briefing