COVID-19 Alert - January 7

By the Numbers:

• Individuals Tested: 7,963,321

• 88 counties with at least one case

• Ages range from less than one year old to 111 years of age, with a median age of 43

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

• Total Cases: 753,068 (45,962 of which are health care workers)

• Case Increase in Last 24-Hour Period: 10,251

• 21 Day Reported Case Average: 7,471

• Total Deaths: 9,462

• Deaths Reported in Last 24-Hour Period: 94

• 21 Day Reported Death Average: 75

• Total Hospitalizations: 39,650 (6,092 of which are in the intensive care unit)

• Hospitalization Increase in last 24-Hour Period: 365

• 21 Day Reported Hospitalizations Average: 320

County-by-County Update:

• All 88 counties have a level of spread that is at least 3 times more than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers high incidence.

Phase 1B Vaccination Timeline:

• January 19

  • Governor DeWine announced those in Phase 1B will be able to receive vaccinations beginning on Tuesday, January 19. Those 80 years of age and older will be prioritized first in this next phase, roughly totaling 420,000 Ohioans.

  • Ohio is expected to receive 100,000 doses during the first week of distribution to Phase 1B.

  • Vaccines for Ohioans 80 years of age and older will be administered by physicians, local health departments, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, in-home health service providers, and some retail pharmacies. As of today, the Ohio Department of Health has approximately 1,700 providers registered to distribute vaccines.

  • Additionally, the Ohio Department of Health will be hosting a webinar for registered providers to discuss expectations, and instructions for distribution. Additional details will be shared with registered providers in the coming days.

• January 25

  • Governor DeWine anticipates vaccinations will be available to Ohioans 75 years of age and older beginning Monday, January 25. The following week, vaccinations will be available to those 65 years of age and older.

  • The week of January 25 will also include vaccinations for Ohioans with severe congenital, developmental, or early onset medical disorders. Additional details about distribution for this group will be forthcoming.

• February 1

  • During the week of February 1, vaccinations will be available for personnel in Ohio schools.

  • The Ohio Department of Heath will send forms to Ohio superintendents to indicate their school plans to go back to in full in-person and hybrid learning by March 1, as well as indicate the number of staff they believe will choose to take the vaccination. Superintendents will also be asked if a community partner has been identified to help with the administering of the COVID-19 vaccines to school personnel.

• Additional information about vaccinations can be found at: coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Travel Advisory:

• Those entering Ohio after travel to states reporting positive testing rates of 15% or higher for COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

• Positivity rate is an indicator of how much COVID-19 there is in a community, and ODH is recommending against travel to those states with high positivity. If someone must travel, ODH is recommending 14 days of self-quarantine after leaving those locations. This advisory is intended for both leisure and business travel and should be heeded by both Ohioans and out-of-state travelers. It is intended as guidance and is not a mandate.

Amended Health Order:

• Governor DeWine announced that Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud signed the Sixth Amended Director's Order to Limit Access to Ohio's Nursing Homes and Similar Facilities, with Exceptions.

• This revised order clarifies that in-person compassionate care visits are permitted in nursing homes and similar facilities. The new order does not change required precautions all visitors must take, including but not limited to, wearing of a facial covering and social distancing.

BroadbandOhio Connectivity Grant Extended to 12/21:

• The deadline for the BroadbandOhio Connectivity Grant, which provided $50 million to schools to help them purchase equipment for students to access the internet, has been extended. This program helps schools to fund everything from hotspots, to Wi-Fi, to access points on school busses. The grant was funded using Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) from the CARES Act.

• The deadline to spend these funds was originally December 30, 2020, however, a second federal stimulus bill was signed at the of December, which extended the CRF expenditure deadline an additional year, until December 31, 2021. As a result, this administration extended the deadline for the BroadbandOhio Connectivity Grant to the same date, December 31, 2021.

• More information about the grant program can be found at: ohio-k12.help.

U.S. Capitol Breach:

• Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted also shared additional comments regarding the assault on the United States Capitol. “Yesterday was a sad day. It was a dark day for this great republic. This was a direct attack on the U.S. Constitution, and everything we hold dear,” said Governor DeWine. “Yesterday’s actions were shameful, and all Americans need to denounce these acts. It is time we all accept the election results, and the will of the People. We need to come together as a People, and we need to work together.”