COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP): Ohio is now fielding record unemployment claims.

Meanwhile, many workers out of a job find themselves scrambling to make ends meet as they wait days or weeks for their claim to be processed and checks to be issued.

The state human services agency says nearly 700,000 people filed for unemployment in the last three weeks. That’s almost double the 365,000 claims filed in all of 2019.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted says hundreds have been added to the state call center to handle all the inquires, but he has repeatedly asked people to be patient.