Ohio set to increase vaccine doses
State also adding more vaccine providers; DeWine announces sports, entertainment event guidelines.
With more coronavirus vaccines coming into Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday announced that the state will add more vaccine providers and increase the number of doses sent to hospitals and health departments.
He also announced sports and entertainment events will be able to welcome spectators again. Facilities will be able to reopen at 25% maximum indoor capacity and 30% outdoor capacity if they follow established guidelines.
“Things are looking a lot better,” DeWine said, noting that the state is scheduled to receive 310,000 vaccines next week.
With K-12 schools finishing up vaccine clinics this week, more doses will available for older Ohioans and medically vulnerable residents.
Some Meijer and Walmart pharmacies will be among vaccine providers added in Ohio, as well as more independent pharmacies. As of Thursday, the state has approved 1,205 providers, according to the state health department.
Once the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is approved, the governor said the state believes it will receive 90,000 vaccines the first week. The second and third week Ohio is expected to get less, but it is not clear how much.
As of Thursday, 1,530,823 people have received one dose of the COVID vaccine and 772,126 have completed the vaccine in Ohio.
While not every school district will meet DeWine’s March 1 deadline to return to in-person learning, he said he’s pleased with the progress the state has made over the last few months.
As of Wednesday, only 10 public school districts in the state were completely remote. Nearly 600 are either completely in-person
or are hybrid.
“I’m happy with where we are,” DeWine said. “I wish it were 100%, but it’s not.”
Vaccinations are continuing through the weekend for K-12 school staff after some clinics were delayed due to weather. Some districts have already received their second dose, with the remaining schools to finish their vaccinations in the coming weeks.
While talking about sports and entertainment events, DeWine said more information will be coming soon about
elines for proms, wedding receptions, banquet centers, fairs, festivals and parades.
Spectators must be seated in pods of six people or less. Pods must be at least 6 feet apart.
Face masks will be required for employees and customers, the governor said. Facilities should also have pathways for spectators that allow for social distancing.
General admission for lawn seating or standing room is allowed as long as masks are worn and social distancing is marked and maintained.
The Cincinnati Reds shared their excitement over the governor’s announcement Thursday.
are excited to welcome fans back to the ballpark to kick off the season on Opening Day,” said Phil Castellini, Reds president and chief operating officer. “We thank Governor DeWine and the officials at the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County for their guidance and cooperation throughout the planning process.”
Fans will be required to wear face masks at Great American Ball Park unless they are eating or drinking in their seats.
All tickets will be issued digitally via the MLB Ballpark app to allow for contactless entry.
DeWine added that if the state’s situation improves this spring and summer, more spectators could be allowed. However, he also addressed concerns about a more contagious COVID variant that’s been detected in Ohio.
“We’re going to watch it and we’re going to watch the early signs,” he said. “We just have to be careful as we move forward and we have to do it with good common sense.”
For the first time in weeks, Ohio saw a decrease in the number of red, or level 3, counties. Four counties moved down to orange, or level 2, for a total of eight. Mercer and Shelby counties were among those who went from red to orange.
They both also dropped under the definition for high oc urrence of coronavirus. Over the last two weeks, Mercer County has reported 92.3 cases per 100,000 residents and Shelby County has reported 84.4.
Ohio reported 2,409 daily cases of coronavirus Thursday, bringing its total to 962,404, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
Over the last 21 days, the state has recorded an average of 2,455 cases a day. Ohio hasn’t exceeded 3,000 daily cases since Feb. 12.
The state reported 80 deaths related to the virus for a total of 17,125.