LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: COVID 19 vaccine

  • Level of Community Transmission in Hamilton County moves to “High”

    Level of Community Transmission in Hamilton County moves to “High”

    Loveland, Ohio – The tracking system of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now moved Hamilton County, Ohio to the highest level of warning for the transmission of COVID 19.

    Clermont and Warren Counties remain in the “High” rate of transmission range.

    https://lovelandmagazine.com/its-vaccination-info-wednesday/

    How do levels of community transmission affect schools?

    UPDATE: Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools

    Updated Aug. 5, 2021

    Key Takeaways

    • Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority.
    • Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.
    • Due to the circulating and highly contagious Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
    • In addition to universal indoor masking, CDC recommends schools maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms to reduce transmission risk. When it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least 3 feet, such as when schools cannot fully re-open while maintaining these distances, it is especially important to layer multiple other prevention strategies, such as screening testing.
    • Screening testing, ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick and getting tested, contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation, and cleaning and disinfection are also important layers of prevention to keep schools safe.
    • Students, teachers, and staff should stay home when they have signs of any infectious illness and be referred to their healthcare provider for testing and care.
    • Many schools serve children under the age of 12 who are not eligible for vaccination at this time. Therefore, this guidance emphasizes implementing layered prevention strategies (e.g., using multiple prevention strategies together consistently) to protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, and other members of their households and support in-person learning.
    • Localities should monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing, and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies (e.g., physical distancing, screening testing).

    Summary of Recent Changes

    Updates as of August 4, 2021

    • Updated to recommend universal indoor masking for all students, staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
    • Added recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
  • First COVID 19 Vaccine Should Be Administered in Cincinnati Area In…

    First COVID 19 Vaccine Should Be Administered in Cincinnati Area In…

    [wpdevart_countdown text_for_day=”Days” text_for_hour=”Hours” text_for_minut=”Minutes” text_for_second=”Seconds” countdown_end_type=”date” end_date=”15-12-2020 08:28″ start_time=”1607606561″ end_time=”0,1,1″ action_end_time=”hide” content_position=”center” top_ditance=”10″ bottom_distance=”10″ countdown_type=”button” font_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color=”#3DA8CC” circle_size=”130″ circle_border=”5″ border_radius=”8″ font_size=”30″ countdown_font_famaly=”monospace” animation_type=””]First Vaccine Should Be Administered in Cincinnati Area[/wpdevart_countdown]
  • Loveland Police and Fire Chiefs respond to questions about local vaccine distribution

    Loveland Police and Fire Chiefs respond to questions about local vaccine distribution

    Loveland, Ohio – “Many things are still in flux. We are on daily morning briefings with the Health Department and Homeland Security officials. Many of the questions you have asked are being ironed out at this time,” said Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber.

    Loveland Magazine asked both Huber and Loveland Police Chief Sean Rahe several questions yesterday as local delivery of a COVID 19 vaccine approaches. Chief Huber responded on behalf of both department chiefs.

    Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber speaking at Loveland’s 9/11 ceremony in September.

    First responders will be in Phase 1 of Ohio’s vaccine distribution plan along with high-risk healthcare workers, and seniors living in congregate settings (i.e. nursing homes).

    Ohio Capital Journal reported on Tuesday that Federal regulators could allow two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use as early as December, but getting the vaccines from out-of-state manufacturers to 11.7 million Ohioans poses a web of logistical challenges.

    The Ohio Department of Health has identified 10 sites across the state that will receive the pre-positioned vaccine after a COVID-19 vaccine is given emergency-use authorization. Once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issues its recommendation on how to use the vaccine, these sites will begin administering the vaccine immediately to those who choose to receive it and are identified as able to receive it in the first stage.

    The ten pre-positioned sites were selected based on geography, population, and access to ultra-cold storage capacity. The University of Cincinnati Hospital Medical Center in Clifton is the Cincinnati area site.

    The Chiefs were asked if they have established any policy about their employees receiving the vaccine when it becomes available and if officers and firefighters will be required to be vaccinated. The chiefs were also asked whether they will be vaccinated. Huber said, “We will be providing the opportunity for our staff to receive vaccines as they are offered.”

    Huber also said, “At this point, we will be leaning on our Medical Director Dr. Policastro for guidance. We hope to have a plan finalized with the Health Department very soon. Keeping our staff safe so that we can safely provide service to our residents is our highest  priority.”

    Loveland Magazine also asked if there was anything that can be shared about plans for distribution in the City of Loveland or Symmes Township when a vaccine is available to the general public and whether local Kroger stores are the designated point of distribution for area residents when the vaccine is universally available. “Loveland and Symmes are both points of distribution however we do not know yet if they will choose to open those PODS,” said Huber.

    Under the draft issued by the Statehouse that was released on October 28, Ohio would implement a 4-phase approach to distributing the COVID-19 vaccine once it’s available.

    A summary of the phases are as follows:

    Phase 1 – High-risk healthcare workers, first responders, seniors living in congregate settings (i.e. nursing homes)

    Phase 2 – Public health workers, teachers and school employees, homeless individuals, prison workers and inmates, persons with mental health in group homes or institutions, and individuals with a medical condition putting them at greater risk of mortality due to COVID-19

    Phase 3 – Students, young adults, children, and individuals in high risk occupations

    Phase 4 – Universal availability

    You can read the complete draft: ODH Draft COVID-19 Plan that was released on October 28.