Loveland, Ohio – The City’s Fall Leaf Collection schedule will begin on October 12 this year. Leaf collection during this period will be done by a City crew using mechanical equipment similar to a vacuum cleaner. Residents are instructed to rake leaves to a place near the street or curb. Do not place leaf piles on the sidewalk, gutters, ditches, roads, or blocking fire hydrants.
You can print the schedule to hang on your refrigerator or bulletin board using this .pdf: Fall Leaf Collection Schedule
Loveland, Ohio – After watching The Pursuit of Happyness with his dad, Ryan found $200 worth of change around the house. Ryan decided he wanted to use it shop for food for the L.I.F.E. food pantry to help those in need, especially those who are homeless.
The pantry and also the Loveland Magazine staff say. “Thank you Ryan, for your generous heart!”
Photos and story from the FaceBook page of the L.I.F.E. food pantry –
-This story has been corrected to reflect that Halloween is on Saturday October 31.
Loveland Police Chief Sean Rahe
Loveland, Ohio – City Manager Dave Kennedy announced at last night’s council meeting that Halloween Trick or Treating in Loveland is a go. He said that Police Chief Sean Rahe is reviewing an advisory that was issued by the Ohio Department of health and the City will issue a statement after it has been reviewed.
Kennedy said, “We hope to move forward full steam and certainly encourage people to follow the rules. We are not going to mess with changing times or dates.”
Although not announced at the meeting, Trick or Treating hours in Loveland have been between 6 and 8 PM for many consecutive years.
Halloween is on Saturday October 31.
DeWine recommends children wear masks on Halloween!
In Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s announcement of the health department orders he reminded parents that Halloween activities will be different this year than in years past. He encouraged, “parents and children to wear a mask, practice social distancing, avoid large groups, and to stay home if sick.” Dewine also said, “Final decisions on whether to hold or participate in trick-or-treating or other events should be made by local communities, individuals, and parents.”
The state has developed guidance for Halloween and it can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Celebrating Halloween at Re-Start Ohio
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to use caution and plan ahead for Halloween festivities. Decisions on whether to participate should be made by local communities, individuals, and parents/ guardians.
Always follow current state public health orders and rules/regulations established by your local community, and check the Ohio Public Health Advisory System to determine COVID-19 risk levels in your county before making decisions about Halloween activities. Some communities may choose to cancel Halloween events, so check with local sources before making plans.
This guidance is designed to help curb the spread of COVID-19. It will be reassessed and updated as the situation evolves and we learn more in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
Recommended Best Practices
General Guidance
• It is strongly recommended that hayrides and haunted houses be canceled/avoided.
• It is strongly recommended that Ohioans exercise caution when deciding to participate in trick-or-treating and events that put them in close contact with people outside their households. To lower risk, consider safer, socially distant ways to celebrate, such as:
• Holding a drive-through or drive-in trick-or-treat event, with children in costume and face coverings staying in cars and collecting treats from individuals spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Holding drive-by costume or car-decorating contests with judges who are physically distanced.
• Leaving treats for friends and neighbors.
• Decorating your home and hide treats as an alternative to trick-or-treating.
• Holding costume parties or pumpkin carving events or contests online, such as by video conference.
• Do not hold large in-person Halloween parties. If holding smaller parties, limit attendance to 10 or fewer people and hold the event in an outdoor area where social distancing is possible. Avoid activities, such as bobbing for apples, that foster the spread of infection.
• Always wear a face covering and stay 6 feet away from people who are not from your household, whether trick-or- treating, passing out treats, or attending attractions or events. Stay home if you are sick. (NOTE: Face coverings should never be placed on children younger than 2 or anyone who cannot easily remove them.)
• Carry hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces and before eating candy.
• Select events/attractions that are held outdoors and allow attendees to stay in their cars (such as drive-through event with displays) or socially distance. Avoid events that involve being crowded in a small area or coming into contact with/being touched by others.
• Consider the people in your household who may be at greater risk of complications if COVID-19 is brought into the home, such as those with certain health conditions, women who are pregnant, or older family members.
For Parents/ Guardians
• If taking your children trick-or-treating, limit the number of houses you visit and ask your children to stay as far from treat-givers as possible. For small children, consider holding the bag for them.
• Wipe off candy wrappers with sanitizing wipes when you arrive home. (NOTE: Never wipe unpackaged food with wipes.) • Allow children to eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid homemade treats made by strangers.
• If your child is at greater risk of complications from COVID-19, contact your doctor before allowing participation in Halloween activities.
For Community Members
For trick-or-treating, reach out to neighbors to discuss ways to ensure 6-foot social distancing, how candy can most safely be distributed, and the need for face coverings.
Refrain from having children select their own treats from a bowl/common container or set up a hand-sanitizing station. Consider placing treats on porch steps or a table in the driveway with a sign asking children to take only one. Or use other creative ways to distribute treats, such as using a candy “slide” made of PVC pipe, or hanging treats from a wall or fence.
While the world anxiously awaits the day a vaccine becomes available to help prevent COVID-19, I wanted to take a moment for a more general vaccine discussion.
xxx
As has been evidenced through the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination is perhaps the most valuable public health tool available. Some of us are old enough to remember friends, relatives and classmates stricken by polio. Many of us remember chicken pox, mumps and measles – the disease staples of childhoods past.
xxx
Greg Kesterman is the Hamilton County Health Commissioner
xxx
When is the last time you heard about a child with polio? For young parents, how many of you have comforted your sick children through chicken pox, mumps or measles. My guess is that there are not many parents, if any at all, who have had to deal with these issues in the last 25 years.
xxx
The reason we hear so little about these diseases today is simple – immunization has significantly reduced these illnesses in the United States. However, without continued immunization programs, these diseases, many of which are still prevalent in less-developed countries, can quickly return.
xxx
That is what makes our current trend of vaccinations disturbing. Hamilton County Public Health has experienced a decline of more than 50 percent in the number of vaccines administered in our clinics as compared to the same time period last year. Our trend mirrors current national vaccination numbers.
For the upcoming influenza (flu) season, influenza vaccination will be more important than ever.
xxx
Efforts to reduce transmission of COVID-19, such as stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders, have led to decreased use of routine preventive medical services, including immunizations. Ensuring that routine vaccination is maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for protecting individuals and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks. Routine vaccination prevents illnesses that lead to unnecessary medical visits, hospitalizations and further strain the healthcare system.
xxx
For the upcoming influenza (flu) season, influenza vaccination will be more important than ever to reduce the impact of respiratory illnesses in the population and resulting burdens on the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaccination is most effective when the majority of a community receives it.
xxx
Many parents are concerned about vaccine safety. After all, if these diseases are truly things of the past, why do we need to vaccinate our children? Vaccination is most effective when the majority of a community receives it. No vaccine is 100 percent effective and for this reason, immunization of the majority of a community helps prevent communicable disease from spreading. This theory is called “herd immunity” and is particularly effective in protecting the most vulnerable in our society, such as infants and those with compromised immune systems.
xxx
There has also been considerable misinformation about potential side effects of various vaccines. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has the safest vaccine supply in its history. The United States’ long-standing vaccine safety system ensures that vaccines are as safe as possible. It detects problems rapidly and allows us to respond.
xxx
Please make certain vaccinations for you and your children are up-to-date.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures the safety, effectiveness, and availability of vaccines for the United States. Before the FDA licenses (approves) a vaccine, the vaccine is tested extensively by its manufacturer. FDA scientists and medical professionals carefully evaluate all the available information about the vaccine to determine its safety and effectiveness.
xxx
As we enter the fall, back-to-school season and of course, flu season, I urge everyone to get a flu shot. In addition, please make certain vaccinations for you and your children are up-to-date. Need help with vaccination? We can help those either under-insured or with no insurance, as well as those on Medicaid or in a Medicaid HMO to get properly immunized. Call us at 513-946-7882 for information.
There are 4 vaccines recommended for preteens. These vaccines can prevent very serious diseases like meningitis and HPV cancers.
Call the Hamilton County Public Health Clinic at 513-946-7600
Immunizations play an important role in the health of children and adults. Vaccines help prevent diseases that were once common in this country, including polio, measles and whooping cough. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, 43,000 U.S. adults die from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Hamilton County Public Health holds immunization clinics across the county. No one is turned away based on ability to pay.
Columbus, Ohio – The coronavirus is raging in Ohio, but the state’s Republican leaders seem disinclined to enforce rules intended to protect against it. (How does Hamilton County avoid Level 4 Alert)
Attorney General Dave Yost won’t say whether he’ll support enforcement of new orders to wear masks in the state’s hardest-hit counties. And the official who issued them, Gov. Mike DeWine, has made several statements indicating that he doesn’t want to see anybody punished for not following measures intended to slow the spread of the deadly disease.
Mike Samet the Public Information Officer for Hamilton County Public Health told Loveland Magazine on Friday that from an enforcement perspective, as a county agency, the Health Department is not able to issue citations. “Nobody wants to be the mask police. This is education over enforcement, he said. Samet added that he wants people to understand why masks are important now, not punish them for non-compliance.
Ohio set a record for new cases Friday — 1,525 — after seeing them trend sharply upward over the past few weeks. The case count was nearly triplethe three-week average of 531.
Gov. Mike DeWine, has made several statements indicating that he doesn’t want to see anybody punished for not following measures intended to slow the spread of the deadly disease.
The news comes as six other states — Alabama, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Oregon and Texas — set new single-day records of their own on Thursday. It also was the sixth day out of the past 10 in which the United States set one-day records for new cases of the coronavirus, which now has killed more than 3,000 in Ohio and more than 130,000 nationwide.
Also last week, a New York Times data analysis showed that the disease in the United States is taking on a disturbing racial dimension, with Blacks and Latinos around three times as likely as whites to get the new coronavirus.
The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control both have said that widespread mask wearing would reduce the spread of the disease. One study indicated that if 80% of people wore them, the spread would plummet to one twelfth what it would be if nobody did.
Yet Yost, the state’s top law-enforcement officer, last week didn’t respond to questions about whether he supports enforcement of last week’s orders that people in Ohio’s 12 hardest-hit counties must wear masks inside public buildings.
In late March, Yost ordered that many abortions be halted in Ohio, arguing that the move was intended to conserve healthcare resources in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
In June, he urged a municipal court to drop charges against a couple accused of opening their Cambridge-area restaurant in defiance of an earlier, DeWine-issued health order that it remain closed.
Then earlier this week, Yost said that the Columbus city government doesn’t have the power to enforce mask orders in state buildings — places where many Republican lawmakers have refused to wear them.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for Yost explained that the attorney general can’t have any official involvement in cases relating to health orders unless asked by local prosecutors. “We don’t have the authority,” the spokeswoman, Bethany McCorkle, said in a text message.
She added, however, that Yost has worn a mask since before there was a health order and encourages others to do the same.
The attorney general and his staff haven’t responded to subsequent questions about the order DeWine issued on Wednesday evening requiring masks in the worst-hit counties.
David Pepper (Photo from Ballotpedia)
Ohio Democrats are already up in arms about Republican legislative leaders’ refusal to share details about the spread of coronavirus in the Statehouse and surrounding office towers. David Pepper, the party chairman, on Friday slammed the attorney general for his apparent reluctance to support the enforcement of mask orders.
“As far as Dave Yost is concerned, refusing to enforce health orders is just one more example that the Ohio GOP has become the party of Donald Trump, Nino Vitale and John Becker,” Pepper said in a text message. “Sadly Ohio COVID cases are spiking because of it.”
“Even though initially it appeared that Mike DeWine was being guided by scientists and public health experts, it seems that politics and the desires of the business community are driving more of the governor’s decision making now,” party chairman David Pepper said.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly downplayed the pandemic, floated unproven cures for it and refused to appear in public wearing a mask. Among his other statements, Ohio Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, last Tuesday took to Facebook to urge Ohioans to stop even getting tested for coronavirus. And Ohio Rep. John Becker, R-Union Township, has introduced legislation that would strip state officials of the power to enforce any health order.
Meanwhile, in the absence of much support from his party, DeWine has said he doesn’t plan to use his authority under his mask order to arrest people for not following it.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine
“We’re not talking about throwing people in jail,” DeWine said during a press conference Thursday. “This is a law to advise people what to do.”
DeWine has enjoyed overwhelming, bipartisan support over his handling of the coronavirus. But at least for Ohio’s top Democrat, patience might be wearing thin.
“Even though initially it appeared that Mike DeWine was being guided by scientists and public health experts, it seems that politics and the desires of the business community are driving more of the governor’s decision making now,” Pepper said. “Even with fewer cases, even West Virginia and Kentucky are being more proactive in addressing the pandemic.”
The Ohio Capital Journal is a hard-hitting, independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to connecting Ohioans to their state government and its impact on their lives. The Capital Journal combines Ohio state government coverage with relentless investigative journalism, deep dives into the consequences of policy, political insight and principled commentary.
The Public Health Advisory Alert System is a color-coded system designed to supplement existing statewide orders through a data-driven framework to assess the degree of the virus’ spread and to engage and empower individuals, businesses, communities, local governments, and others in their response and actions.
The system consists of four levels that provide Ohioans with guidance as to the severity of the problem in the counties in which they live. The levels are determined by seven data indicators that identify the risk level for each county and a corresponding color code to represent that risk level.
Loveland, Ohio – Governor DeWine announced today that new public health data has led the Ohio Department of Health to designate that Clermont County is now among 12 counties as being in a Red Alert Level 3 Public Emergency as defined by the Ohio Public Health Advisory System.
Clermont County had been in Level 2 until the announcement today.
Hamilton County remains RED Alert Level 3 however it is on Ohio’s “Watch List” as they are approaching Purple Alert Level 4.
Mandates for people to begin wearing masks in public in Clermont County will begin at 6 PM on Friday, July 10.
Governor DeWine announced the creation of the Ohio Public Health Advisory System last week to provide local health departments, community leaders, and the public with data and information on the severity of the COVID-19 spread in the counties in which they live. The system consists of four levels with specific risk-level guidelines. Each level is calculated with data gathered on seven public health indicators.
Those in counties designated as Red Alert Level 3 or Purple Alert Level 4 are required to wear a face covering:
In any indoor location that is not a residence;
When outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not members of their household; or
While waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation, a taxi, a private car service, or a ride-sharing vehicle.
The order does not apply to children under the age of 10 or any other minor who cannot safely wear a face covering. The order also reflects the mask guidance in place for employees and businesses which does not require a person to wear a mask if their physician advises against it, if wearing a mask is prohibited by federal regulation, if communicating with the hearing impaired, when alone in an office or personal workspace, and other similar measures.
Schools that offer Kindergarten through Grade 12 instruction should follow the guidelines set forth last week by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Health.
The Ohio Department of Health will update county rankings every Thursday. Any county that increases to Red Alert Level 3 will automatically be included in the face-covering mandate. Any county that decreases from Red Alert Level 3 to Orange Alert Level 2 will automatically be released from the face-covering requirement.
Loveland, Ohio – Today beginning at 6 PM all of Hamilton County is under an order of the Ohio Department of Health that mandates the wearing of face coverings in public.
“The Public Health Advisory Alert System is a color-coded system designed to supplement existing statewide orders through a data-driven framework to assess the degree of the virus’ spread and to engage and empower individuals, businesses, communities, local governments, and others in their response and actions.”
Loveland, Ohio – Today beginning at 6 PM all of Hamilton County which includes parts of the Loveland School District is under an order of the Ohio Department of Health that mandates the wearing of face coverings in public.
Loveland High School, the Intermediate and Middle School Campus, and the Primary and Elementary Campus are all within the RED alert area. There are approximately 4,000 students that attend these schools.
The Early Childhood Center is in Clermont County which is in the Orange Alert area.
Loveland Schools are currently scheduled to resume classes on August 26, 48 days from now.
Loveland is in three counties. The Little Miami River is the East/West dividing line between Hamilton County and Clermont County, A smaller part of Loveland is in Warren county. Hamilton County is in the RED in Ohio’s Public Health Emergency Alert system. Clermont and Warren are both currently ORANGE.
Also, Governor Dewine tweeted on July 7, “As the #COVID19 pandemic has progressed more younger Ohioans are being diagnosed with #COVID19. We are seeing young people who are getting very sick. There is also the concern that they are passing it on to those who are at risk.” He released this graphic to emphasize that point.
Columbus, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine Thursday declared that “We’re in a crisis S/state in Ohio.” He was speaking at a COVID 10 news briefing in Columbus.
The governor dithered. The state legislature said no way.
So on Tuesday, the Springfield City Commission took it upon itself to pass a resolution (which lacks the force of law) calling for all residents to cover their faces while indoors, a practice research says will slow the spread of COVID-19 through Ohio.
By Wednesday, Dayton became the first major city in Ohio to require masks by law. Similarly,Yellow Springs passed a resolution andBexley passed a local ordinance requiring masks.
“The mask is a symbol of freedom,” said David Estrop, a Springfield city commissioner, at a hearing, echoing comments from the governor. “It allows us to continue to reopen this state, yet do so in a way that’s safe.”
By Wednesday, Dayton became the first major city in Ohio to require masks by law. Similarly, Yellow Springs passed a resolution and Bexley passed a local ordinance requiring masks.
On Wednesday, the Ohio Department of Health reported more than 1,000 new cases, the first time that stat has reached quadruple digits since officials mass-tested inmates in three state prisons in late April. Wednesday marks 16 days of the coronavirus accelerating its spread, as measured by the 10-day average new caseload.
Despite the worsening coronavirus outlook in Ohio and nationwide, state lawmakers continue to whip up anti-mask fervor. While Gov. Mike DeWine encourages everyone to wear masks, he has refrained from issuing any statewide mandate as the national epidemic worsens and states pause their economic re-openings.
DeWine demurs
In April, Gov. Mike DeWine took a hardline stance on masks, saying they’d be the only way business can reopen after he lifted the stay-at-home order.
Last week, referencing worsening outbreaks in Montgomery and Hamilton counties, DeWine floated the idea of implementing a mask mandate on a county-by-county basis.
However, he has yet to issue any such order. A spokesman declined to say whether DeWine will announce any mask requirement at his next briefing.
In a statement Wednesday, DeWine applauded Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a Democrat, for requiring the use of face coverings.
“Wearing a mask will allow us to help keep businesses open and help prevent further spikes,” he said. “I encourage other communities to consider following Dayton’s lead.”
Voted down
Where masks have found friends in the public health community and Ohio cities, they found enemies in the GOP-controlled state General Assembly.
Where masks have found friends in the public health community and Ohio cities, they found enemies in the GOP-controlled state General Assembly.
Both the Speaker of the House and the Senate President have refused to wear masks at legislative functions.
“It’s my RIGHT not to wear a mask, and I do NOT support a government that tries to quarantine the healthy,” he wrote.
Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, takes to social media regularly to promote baseless conspiracy theories about masks limiting blood oxygen or how they “force virus into the brain.”
Rep. Candice Keller, R-Middletown criticizes Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for distributing masks to Ohio businesses.
Rep. Candice Keller, R-Middletown,produced a Facebook video June 25 criticizing Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for distributing masks to Ohio businesses.
Despite the lawmakers’ claims, research suggests masks are an effective, inexpensive and non-invasive way to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Hamilton County, Ohio – On Tuesday Hamilton County Commissioner Victoria Parks unveiled a resolution to declare Racism a Public Health Crisis.
The resolution was introduced at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
President and COO of the Center, Woodrow Keown, Jr., spoke in support of the resolution:
“The nation was founded on the principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Pursuit of happiness is hindered by fear and hatred that is directed daily—overtly and covertly—at black and brown people, simply because of the color of our skin. The deprivation of liberty for Blacks in America is well known and goes by the names of chattel slavery, Jim Crow, “separate but equal”, and systematic or institutionalized racism. Likewise, the simple right of life is threatened by hatred that has led to lynchings, fear that has led to calls of police brutality based largely on implicit biases, and systematic racism that makes the simple fact of being Black hazardous to your health.”
At 1 PM Thursday the Commission will hold a Hearing to consider the Resolution “Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis”.
You can watch the meeting live or comment on the business the Board will be considering. Scroll to the bottom of this page to view the complete agenda for Thursday’s meeting.
The public is urged to view the commission meetings live on television or online using the following stations/platforms:
NOTICE
In order to keep the public and employees safe during the COVID-19 outbreak, Hamilton County Commissioners are holding commission meetings virtually. The public is urged to view the commission meetings live on television or online using the following stations/platforms:
Resolutions amending the MSD Capital Improvement Program to add a project; authorizing the preparation of detailed plans, specifications, estimate of cost, tentative assessment and/or other relevant documents and appropriating funds for design phase services and related expenses.
Loveland, Ohio – After watching The Pursuit of Happyness with his dad, Ryan found $200 worth of change around the house. Ryan decided he wanted to use it shop for food for the L.I.F.E. food pantry to help those in need, especially those who are homeless.
.
The 
![[POLL] Do you feel safe sending your child back to school in light of the “Red” Alert?](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/school-alert-map-Maps.jpg)
