Ohio set new COVID-19 records Thursday, reporting 7,000 daily new cases and more than 3,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations both for the first time.

The news is a bad sign for restaurants and bars that are hoping the governor will allow them to stay open past next Thursday.

During an address the previous evening, Gov. Mike DeWine set up a major decision on indoor dining, announcing the state had a week to turn the numbers around or he would shut businesses down. Gyms and fitness centers would be closed in addition to bars and restaurants.

DeWine said Thursday he has not made a final decision. But Thursday’s record case numbers, 7101, in the last 24-hours, were a foreboding sign for those establishments.

“Look, we’ve not made a final decision on that. We’re going to be guided, a lot, by what our hospitals are telling us. This is really a critical point. We’re seeing some real increases in hospitals," DeWine said. "We’ll make that decision as we get closer to it."

He has not released the exact criteria he will use to make the decision. He said Thursday it will involve looking at the “totality of all the circumstances," adding "it’s not just one number or two numbers," but many numbers. 

On Thursday, Ohio reported 35 new deaths and an increase of 268 in its count of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

In the state’s latest advisory map which shows where transmission is accelerating, the state was mostly filled red, the second worst indicator. DeWine said the map has less value when the whole thing is filled in red like it was Thursday.

Two counties, Tuscarawas and Franklin, entered the watch list, meaning they are at risk for going “purple," the worst indicator. No county has ever gone purple.

DeWine said the state will introduce new dashboards allowing Ohioans to look at COVID-19 statistics by zip code, more precise data than has previously been available.

The governor said he sympathizes with his critics who are furious businesses could get shut down once again.

“For those who say ‘I don’t like your decisions last night,' or 'I don’t like your idea about bars and restaurants.' I understand. I fully understand. We don’t want to close anything, nothing. But the buck does stop with me," the governor said.

He said he made the announcement after conferring with medical experts who tell him that at the rate the state is going, hospitals will soon become strained. DeWine said the trends are not sustainable and will lead to severe consequences very soon.

“It’s not a question. It’s not an option. The governor doesn’t have an option to do something. We have to take action. It would be totally irresponsible at this point not to take actions," DeWine said.

The governor shared optimism that a new public health order intended to strengthen the state’s mask mandate will lead to better masking compliance statewide.

The order adds an “enforcement threat,” DeWine said. Inspectors will go from store to store assessing mask compliance and meeting with managers on duty. Warnings will be issued to non-compliant stores. Second offenses could mean a 24-hour closure of the store.

Two business managers in Columbus said they do not see how this order is much different from what has been in place. 

Cassandra Pridemore, a manager of a Qdoba on High Street, said they offer masks to anyone who enters without one.

“This doesn't change anything for us,” she said. “All we know now is that they're definitely going to be shutting people down rather than just giving warnings. But that's kind of what we assumed all along.”

She said the order might affect businesses in towns where there has been less enforcement.

Eric Bretschneider, general manager of Buckeye Donuts, said the vast majority of customers have been in compliance with the mandate. It hasn’t been much of an inconvenience to enforce, he said. His donut shop will continue on as they have been.