Governor ‘not happy’ with Guard’s vax rate
Members preparing to assist understaffed Ohio hospitals
Gov. Mike Dewine on Thursday said he was concerned about the number of Ohio Army National Guard members that haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Obviously I am not happy with 53%,” Dewine said, as those who are unvaccinated would not be able to assist inside hospitals. “This is a high-risk operation ... we’re continuing to push that.”
Dewine’s remarks came after he met with members of the Ohio National Guard at the Defense Supply Center in Whitehall. They were preparing for duty to assist understaffed Ohio hospitals dealing with an influx of COVID-19 patients.
Approximately 2,300 members have been activated by the governor to relieve the pressure on hospitals, while Ohio has broken its daily record for COVID-19 hospitalizations at least eight days in a row. As of Wednesday, 6,457 Ohioans were in the hospital with the virus.