COVID-19 Alert - December 4

By the Numbers:

• Individuals Tested: 6,324,803

• 88 counties with at least one case

• Ages range from less than one year old to 109 years of age, with a median age of 42

• State of Ohio COVID-19 dashboard: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/dashboard

• Total Cases: 456,963 (31,381 of which are health care workers)

• Case Increase in Last 24-Hour Period: 10,114

• 21 Day Reported Case Average: 8,306

• Total Deaths: 6,882

• Deaths Reported in Last 24-Hour Period: 129

• 21 Day Reported Death Average: 56

• Total Hospitalizations: 28,673 (4,847 of which are in the intensive care unit)

• Hospitalization Increase in last 24-Hour Period: 392

• 21 Day Reported Hospitalizations Average: 325

Vaccine Distribution to begin on or around December 15:

• Governor DeWine announced that during Phase 1 of the vaccine distribution, vaccine supply will be limited, and Ohio will focus on vaccinating those who wish to be vaccinated in the critical Phase 1A groups outlined below.

• The federal government has advised that the Ohio Department of Health will not know the exact number of vaccines that will be shipped to Ohio until closer to each shipment date. The current shipment figures, which are subject to change, are as follows:

  • On or around December 15, a shipment from Pfizer will include 9,750 vaccines for Ohio's prepositioned hospital sites. An additional 88,725 vaccines will go to Walgreens and CVS for congregate care settings.

  • On or around December 22, a shipment of 201,000 vaccines is expected from Moderna. These vaccines will go to 98 hospitals for vaccination of those who are exposed to COVID patients and to 108 health departments to vaccinate other frontline workers such as those working in emergency medical services.

  • On or around December 22, another shipment is also expected from Pfizer. The tentative number of vaccines in this shipment is 123,000. These vaccines will go to Walgreens and CVS for vaccination of those in congregate care settings.

  • A few days later, Ohio expects another 148,000 vaccines from Pfizer and 89,000 vaccines from Moderna.

• These vaccines will be the first dose for those in the identified critical groups. A second dose will be delivered and administered in the future. It has not been determined when members of the general public will have the option to receive vaccines. As information becomes available about the next phases of vaccine distribution, it will be made public.

Revised Quarantine Guidance Announced: 

• Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff today discussed new quarantine guidance recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for those who may have been exposed to coronavirus but are not showing symptoms.

• Following the study of emerging data and a growing confidence in testing, CDC's new guidance has two options depending on the situation:

  • 10-day quarantine that does not require testing, provided there are no symptoms

  • 7-day quarantine if test results are negative, provided there are no symptoms

• The Ohio Department of Health, however, continues to recommend a 14-day quarantine for many citizens in Ohio, including those in congregate living facilities, in workplaces with a large number of employees, in contact with people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and in other settings in which COVID-19 could spread extensively.