Governor DeWine announced today that the Ohio Department of Health has issued a “simplified” health order that “streamlines” previous orders into a single order that underscores the most important tenants of infection prevention.
“Our understanding of this virus and how it spreads is much more advanced than it was when we first learned about coronavirus in early 2020,” said Governor DeWine. “As we move to begin a new chapter in our fight against the pandemic, where more and more Ohioans are being vaccinated, this new order will focus on our best defense measures against COVID-19, such as wearing a mask, social distancing, limiting large gatherings, being outside, and practicing good hand hygiene.”
After a disastrous January, coronavirus cases in Ohio steadily marched downward. Then in recent weeks, they hit a plateau. Now, even as greater numbers of Ohioans get vaccinated, case numbers might be inching back up.
Ohio might be part of a disturbing national trend.
The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center published a set of graphs titled, “America is reopening. But have we flattened the curve?” They map shows trends for each state and color codes them — red for states with increasing case numbers and blue for states where numbers are dropping. How deeply shaded they are indicates how quickly cases are dropping or falling in a state.
The red in Ohio’s graph is so light that it barely amounts to a blush. More disturbing, is that every neighboring state but one is a deeper shade. Kentucky is a very light shade of blue.
The trend extends across the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week said that the seven-day average of coronavirus cases nationally was up 7% over a week earlier.
That prompted CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Monday to say she felt a sense of “impending doom.”
“Now is one of those times when I have to share the truth and I have to hope and trust you will listen,” Walensky said, according to the Charlotte Observer. “Right now I’m scared.”
Those comments prompted President Joe Biden to call on governors in states that had ended their mask mandates to reinstate them.
“People are letting up on precautions, which is a very bad thing,” Biden said, according to the New York Times. “We are giving up hard-fought, hard-won gains.”
The recent rise in cases is probably driven by several factors.
States like Texas have lifted mask mandates and indoor capacity limits. Not only does that take away tools to limit the spread of the virus, it could send a message that the pandemic is over and precautions are no longer needed.
Ohio’s mask and other orders remain in place. And Gov. Mike DeWine rarely misses an opportunity to urge the public to take precautions against the virus.
But as the weather is warming and vaccines are becoming increasingly available, people might be letting their guard down. For example, about half the clientele was unmasked on Saturday at a crowded Columbus convenience store near the softball fields at Lou Berliner Park.
Also, several new variants of the virus are spreading more rapidly than their predecessors. As they crowd out earlier versions of the virus, the spread — and mutations into even more dangerous variants — could accelerate further, experts have said.
The CDC on Sunday said that the number of cases of the “UK variant” — B.1.1.7 — had jumped 115% in Ohio over a week earlier, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Also potentially hampering Ohio’s fight to squelch the disease is that the state will soon have plenty of vaccine, but millions of unvaccinated Ohioans.
Such “vaccine reluctance” stems from several sources.
Some members of minority groups might distrust the health system after a history of abuse or neglect, meanwhile racial inequities in health care access still impede care. Some people have bought into the myth that vaccines cause autism. Still others might not be able to conveniently find one.
There is also a political dimension.
After a year of former President Donald Trump making false statements about the coronavirus, an NPR-PBS-Marist poll conducted earlier this month found that almost half of Republican men said they had no intention of getting vaccinated.
It appears that many Ohioans are skipping the shot for one reason or another.
Cohorts of older Ohioans who have been eligible for the vaccine for more than a month appear to show the trend. They approach about 70% getting at least a first dose and then the increase slows to a crawl.
Loveland, Ohio – Starting todayvaccine eligibility opens for all Ohioans age 16 and above. However, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for use for anyone under the age of 18.
Appointments available today: Hamilton County Public Health has a limited number of appointments available TODAY (March 29th) for a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer). Visit the links below and register with ArmorVax (if you have an ArmorVax account you do not need to make another one).
Additional appointments available this week: There are appointments available for the Johnson & Johnson (Jansen) vaccine at Kroger’s Wilmington Air Park Regional Mass Clinic on April 1st. This regional clinic is hosted and scheduled through Kroger. If you have questions about this clinic please contact Kroger. Visit https://www.kroger.com/rx/covid-eligibility and use Zip Code 45177 to find the Wilmington Air Park Mass Clinic.
Milford and West Chester, Ohio – Two Ohio school districts with some of the highest cumulative case rates for COVID-19 say as they remained in-person, their safety protocols only got better.
Milford Exempted Village School District in Clermont County has remained in-person since the fall, and has had to close twice due to staff absences.
“We simply had too many staff out sick or quarantined and couldn’t find the subs,” Wendy Planicka, director of communications and public relations for the district, told the OCJ. “We have shut down grade levels at a few of our elementary buildings as well, but not an entire elementary building.”
The school district, like many in the state, provides weekly counts of COVID-19 cases on their website, along with cumulative district-wide data.
Since Aug. 1, the district has reported 649 total cases in their district of 6,235 students and 810 staff members.
Currently 4,990 students are enrolled in-person, with 1,245 students enrolled in the district’s virtual program, Eagle Online.
Planicka said community spread has been the “number one cause of our cases,” followed by spread through athletics or non-school sponsored activities such as family parties.
“There have been two or three cases where we believe spread happened in an athletic setting — for example when football was in season last fall, at one point almost the entire football team was quarantined due to possible spread,” Planicka said.
The school implemented protocols that require an investigation into every positive case, including contact tracing in partnership with Clermont County Public Health and a minimum 10-day quarantine period for students and staff who test positive.
In schools, a mask requirement is in place, and custodians are to disinfect desk areas every evening, along with using an electrostatic sprayer “at least every 30 days” according to Milford’s protocol list.
Milford’s reopening plan was developed to make the return to school as safe as possible, but not to return the school to exactly as it was, according to the plan itself.
“School will not look the same as it did prior to March 2020,” the plan stated. “These changes may be temporary or they may be permanent. Time will tell.”
Butler County’s Lakota Local Schools had the highest number of cases since the pandemic counts began, with more than 700 total student cases, according to state data. The school is also home to 14,000 students, having reopened to in-person learning on August 17.
“Since then, our students have had the opportunity to attend school all day, every day,” said Betsy Fuller, community relations director for the district.
There is a virtual learning option at Lakota, being utilized by 3,000 students, according to Fuller.
In the five months that made up their first semester, the school reported 5,172 students in quarantine. The worst month for positive cases in students was December, with 221 of the 468 reported in that semester happening then.
“We traced many of the positive cases to holiday gatherings and celebrations happening outside of school between Halloween and Thanksgiving,” Fuller said. “It is also important to note that very few cases, if any, could actually be linked back to classroom spread.”
The district had guidelines in place as soon as it reopened, including requiring face coverings for all K-12 students, desk cleanings between classes, assigned seating at lunch, and block scheduling to avoid frequent class changes.
In the three months of the second semester so far, the district has reported 345 positive cases, but a 93% student attendance rate.
In February, the state implemented a vaccination program specifically for teachers and school personnel, making returning to school or already conducting in-person instruction a pre-requisite to districts receipt of vaccination doses.
General visitation requirements for nursing homes and assisted living facilities remain the same, including the requirement that visitors schedule appointments in advance, are screened at the door, and wear masks. Changes to the orders include:
Ohio is requiring that visitation be permitted whenever safety protocols can be met. Previously, visitation was permitted, not required.
Vaccinated residents may have physical touch with their visitor while wearing a mask. Previously, touch was discouraged.
Visits may occur in a resident’s private room, as opposed to the previous requirement of a separate visitation area.
30 minutes should serve as the minimum amount of time for a visit. Previously, 30 minutes was the maximum time to visit.
The order also expands the circumstances in which compassionate care visits should be granted.
In addition, the order updates nursing home and assisted living testing requirements to require the facilities to test vaccinated staff once per week and unvaccinated staff twice per week. The previous order made no distinction between vaccinated or unvaccinated staff.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted yesterday provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION UPDATE
Governor DeWine announced today that Ohio received a total of 214,525 first doses of vaccine this week. A total of 223,025 first doses are scheduled to arrive in Ohio during the week of February 15.
The federal retail pharmacy program will soon begin allotting doses to Ohio’s more than 160 Rite Aid pharmacies. Vaccine distribution will also expand into all 194 Kroger pharmacies.
Those with specific medical conditions that put them at a very high risk of dying from COVID-19 will be eligible for vaccinations next week.
Ohioans born with the medical conditions outlined below, or those who were diagnosed in early childhood whose conditions continued into adulthood, will qualify to be vaccinated beginning on February 15.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer at Ohio Department of Health, explained these conditions in more detail. His remarks are available on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
Approximately 12,000 individuals with these severe medical conditions and developmental disabilities have already been vaccinated, and vaccinations of those in this group will continue.
NURSING HOME CASES
Governor DeWine announced today that the number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio’s nursing homes has dropped more than 77 percent since late November. This dramatic drop in cases follows Ohio’s aggressive efforts to vaccinate residents and staff in Ohio’s long-term care facilities.
As outlined in the chart below, there were 2,697 COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities in Ohio during the week of November 29, 2021. During the week of January 17, there were 612 positive cases.
SCHOOL MODEL UPDATE
Governor DeWine shared the latest information on the number of school districts that are physically in school versus those that are fully or partially remote. As a condition to receive priority access to the vaccine, schools were required to commit to full or partial in-person learning by March 1. All but one school district in Ohio have committed to this plan.
OHIO PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY SYSTEM
There was no change in this week’s Ohio Public Health Advisory System map. A county-by-county breakdown outlining the presence of COVID-19 in all of Ohio’s 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s website.
CURRENT CASE DATA (2-12-21)
In total, there are 931,437 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 12,577 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 48,269 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 6,908 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
Under Ohio’s vaccine plan, older adults can receive the vaccine according to the following schedule.
January 18 – Ohioans 80 years of age and older January 25 – ages 75 and older and those with severe congenital or developmental disabilities February 1 – ages 70 and older February 8 – ages 65 and older.
Clermont County has several vaccine providers in the county where you can make an appointment.
Meijer pharmacy to register, text COVID to 75049 or visit https://clinic.meijer.com/ or call the pharmacy directly for assistance registering Miami Township Meijer – 513-576-5510 Eastgate Meijer – 513-943-5710
Mercy Health – Clermont Hospital call 1-866-624-0366 to schedule an appointment
Clermont County Public Health to get on the waiting list and be contacted when an appointment is available, visit: https://ccphohio.org/covid-19-vaccine-info/ For assistance signing up for the waiting list or questions about COVID-19, call the Clermont County COVID-19 hotline at 513-735-8500.
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District announced today that they will relax COVID 19 quarantine guidelines and start using protocol announced on December 5 by Governor Mike DeWine
DeWine announced that Ohio was changing its guidance regarding quarantines following an in-classroom exposure in K-12 schools. The Ohio Department of Health said, “Moving forward, students and teachers exposed to a COVID-positive person in school are no longer required to quarantine as long as the exposure occurred in a classroom setting and all students/teachers were wearing masks and following other appropriate protocols.”
Loveland school students returned to the classroom today, Monday, January 4.
Here is the announcement issued by the District today:
Changes to K-12 School Quarantine Guidelines
Loveland Tiger Family,
We hope that you have had a safe and healthy winter break, and that your students have eagerly returned to their school activities!
As a result of the evidence of low in-school transmission rates of COVID-19, Governor Mike DeWine announced in his press conference last week that school districts will no longer have to quarantine students and staff who are in a “classroom setting” wearing masks and following other safety protocols that would have previously been named a close contact and had to stay home in quarantine for at least 10 days. Hamilton County Public Health, and under their direction the Loveland City School District, will follow this order.
For the purpose of this order, we wish to reiterate that the following:
Safety protocols to be adhered to include mask wearing, hand sanitizing and hand washing, maintaining social distance guidance, and continuing our thorough cleaning protocols – the “bundle”.
Where these protocols cannot be adhered to, students and staff may still need to quarantine following close contact with a person who is positive for COVID-19. For example, eating lunch prevents the wearing of a mask, and as such, close contact in this setting may require quarantining. However, as the district has worked hard to maintain social distancing in our cafeterias, we would expect that this would happen infrequently.
At this time, the district is waiting for guidance on whether or not students would need to quarantine for close contact on a bus. A future communication will clarify that issue. In the interim, Loveland will continue to quarantine close contacts for this setting.
Per the Governor’s order, this new quarantine guidance does NOT apply to close contacts that happen outside of the classroom setting. Students and staff who are identified as a close contact of a positive case outside of the classroom setting (for example, a family member, a teammate, or a close contact outside of school tests positive) will still need to follow the new CDC/ODH approved guidelines. This does include all athletics and extracurricular activities.
We will continue to communicate pertinent COVID-19 information with families as we did during the first semester:
Daily communications when a staff member or student tests positive within 48 hours of being at school if asymptomatic, or within 48 hours of having symptoms.
Personal communications from school when students are determined to be in close contact of a positive case, even if no longer required to quarantine.
Our COVID-19 Dashboard updated on Fridays and inclusive of at-school cases and quarantines (if applicable), as well as a separate tally of community cases that do not meet the definition of being at-school noted in the first bullet.
The district also announced that they have been notified of the following positive cases of COVID-19:
On 12/22/20, a student at Loveland Middle School, last at school on 12/14/20;
On 1/3/21, a student at the Loveland Early Childhood Center, last at school on 12/18/20;
On 1/4/21, a student at Loveland High School, last at school on 12/14/20; and
On 1/4/21, a student at Loveland High School, last at school on 12/16/20.
Columbus, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine issued a proclamation yesterday that authorizes the Ohio National Guard to provide security support at local jails if needed.
The proclamation was issued in response to the significant number of COVID-19 infections amongst state, county, and local corrections officers that has reduced staffing levels required to maintain safe and adequate security at some facilities.
Governor DeWine previously ordered the Ohio National Guard into state active duty to assist the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction with security at state prisons, and today’s proclamation amends that order to also permit Guard members to maintain security at any correctional facility, county jail, or confinement facility in the state.
More information can be found in the proclamation at governor.ohio.gov.
