OHIO — Officials from seven Ohio counties issued a joint statement Wednesday, urging Ohioans to stay home and practice the basics: Social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands frequently.

“Cases and hospital admissions are at the highest levels we have seen during this pandemic, by far. These county health advisories reflect the urgent need for all of us to protect ourselves and our families to stop the spread of this virus,” said Denise Driehaus, president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners.

The counties included in the statement are Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Summit, Montgomery, Lucas and Mahoning. 

They asked residents to only leave the house for necessities, such as medical care, groceries or work. 

The statement comes as Ohio hit its second-highest daily COVID-19 case total, documenting 10,853. Deaths and hospitalizations also continue to surge. The state broke a record Tuesday, reporting 156 deaths within 24 hours. 

Johns Hopkins University data shows Ohio has the 13th highest death count in the U.S., with more than 6,100 dying from the virus since the beginning of the pandemic. 

There were 417 new hospitalizations Wednesday, and a total of 4,541 patients who are receiving care in hospitals currently, which is also a new record.

Many counties and cities have issued stay-at-home advisories that are separate from the statewide stay-at-home advisory. Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, Dayton, Franklin County and Columbus have all asked their residents to only lead the house when necessary. 

Franklin County is one of four counties that are currently in Purple Alert Level 4 — the highest level on the state's four-level scale, indicated a high spread of COVID-19. The other three counties are Lake and Lorain in Northeast Ohio, and Montgomery in Southwest Ohio.