COLUMBUS, Ohio - The number of people confirmed to have the coronavirus in Ohio climbed to 2,902, and 81 people have died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the infection, according to numbers released by the Ohio Department of Health on Thursday afternoon.

This is up from Wednesday, when 2,547 people had tested positive and 65 people had died from COVID-19.

“We’re going to continue to see these numbers go up,” Gov. Mike DeWine said at his daily briefing Thursday.

The health department on Thursday said 802 people have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and 260 have been admitted into the intensive-care unit. That’s around 28% of all positive tests, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton said.

The age range remained from below 1 year to 99, with a median age of 53. By sex, 49% of the infected were males and 51% were females.

The state continues to not provide information on how many have recovered, but Acton said officials are working on it.

“Young people are being affected by this," Acton said. "As the weather is getting better, we’ve talked about young people taking the time to take this very, very seriously. Young people are being hospitalized. Young people are dying from this.”

Worldwide, just under 1 million people were confirmed to have the coronavirus - 981,000 - and 50,000 people have died, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University on Thursday afternoon.

In the U.S. over 226,000 people are confirmed to have coronavirus and 5,300 people are dead.

DeWine thanked Ohio for the collective sacrifices being made, saying he knows it’s not easy.

The peak will hit Ohio between April 15-May 15, he said, based on different models and experts.

“Thank you for the sacrifices you’re making," he said. "You’re making financial sacrifices, you’re making personal sacrifices.”

New stay-at-home order

Acton signed a new order Thursday afternoon, which kicks in Monday night, extending the stay-at-home order until May 1, DeWine said.

DeWine said it’s unlikely Ohio will be out of the woods by May 1.

The order is similar to the current order, except for some suggestions based on public feedback:

Creates a dispute resolution panel for cases where similar businesses are being treated differently in different counties. The decisions will have the force of law and be final, and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said he expects the decisions to be in writing.

To address complaints of overcrowded stores, retail businesses will have to establish a number of people to be in the business at one time. “We’re not telling them what number to set,” DeWine said, explaining that each retailer is set up differently.

When queueing to the store, people must be 6 feet apart.

Travelers into Ohio must quarantine for 14 days, with the exception of people who regularly travel across state borders -- Detroit workers who live in Toledo or Kentucky residents who work in Cincinnati.

Weddings won’t be regulated. But wedding receptions are limited to 10 people, within the Ohio mass gathering order.

Fishing is allowed. Most anglers don’t want to get close to others. But remember to stay far apart.

“We are not closing state parks. But if the director or people feel we have a state park with too many people in it... the director has the option to take whatever action she needs," DeWine said.

Can I wear a mask?

DeWine said that he’s received questions from people whose loved ones work in essential retail about whether they can wear masks.

“We would encourage employers to allow your employees to wear that mask,” DeWine said.

The respiratory N95 masks used in the health care industry are not available. But people can wear homemade cloth masks, which will at least contain some droplets of the wearer from spreading.

Many people with the coronavirus are asymptomatic.

Battelle Memorial Institute can sterilize 160,000 N95 masks a day. DeWine told Ohio hospitals to contact the company to get their masks sterilized by Columbus-based Battelle.

Unemployment update

Nearly a half million people have filed jobless claims in the last two weeks.

About 300 new employees have been added to the Ohio unemployment phone system, Husted said, addressing widespread complaints by Ohioans who continue to wait for benefits to arrive.

The number is 877-644-6562.

People can file complaints online and bypass long wait times: https://unemployment.ohio.gov/.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services expects to add 1,000 new workers for the phones by the end of next week, he said.

“They’re bringing this on line as fast as they can," Husted said.

It sometimes takes two weeks for people to get an unemployment check. How are they to pay their bills?

DeWine acknowledged it is hard.

“I would not make these decisions if it was not a matter of life and death,” DeWine said. “I am convinced it is saving lives."

Husted added that the bill recently passed by Congress provides extra money for taxpayers. The state has ordered water utilities to not disconnect, he said.

Coronavirus can travel in the air -- but exposure is also dependent on length of time

Acton said that people shouldn’t be concerned if they’re taking walks outside. Just keep six feet or more space.

She said that news that coronavirus can travel through the air shouldn’t make people too concerned. They need to remember infections are also dependent on the length of time of exposure, she said.

Economic advisory board

DeWine said he was creating a board to give him insights, similar to his health care board made up of physicians and hospital system executives.

“We’re also looking to experts as we move forward and as we will come out of this and as we focus on our economic recovery,” he said.

Other coronavirus coverage:

Gov. Mike DeWine gives Thursday’s coronavirus update: Watch live

What’s the unemployment application rejection rate? Ohio doesn’t yet know.

Ohioans are now in 1 of 3 hospital zones for coronavirus treatment, Gov. DeWine announces

Confirmed Ohio coronavirus cases increase to 2,547 and 65 deaths: Gov. Mike DeWine’s Wednesday April 1 briefing

Ohio’s Dr. Amy Acton looks forward to new CDC coronavirus guidelines that could call for face coverings in public

Columbus-based Battelle is at the forefront of battling the coronavirus: 5 facts about the nonprofit firm