COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Friday, nearly 1.6 million more Ohioans will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held a briefing Thursday updating the state on how his team plans to accommodate the influx of those searching for a shot.
As the vaccination process ramps up, DeWine warned that epidemiologists believe variants of the virus are indeed spreading in the state.
He said that while the vaccines seem to be just as effective at fighting off these variants, they are still much more contagious.
VACCINE ELIGIBILITY
The additions to the state's vaccine eligibility list include Ohioans 40 and older, as well as those with the following medical conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Heart disease
- Obesity
On March 29, every Ohioans 16 and older will become eligible for the vaccine. Although, those 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine.
As we get closer to that March 29 date, DeWine said providers will be able to give notice of what vaccine option they have in stock.
But, as more people search for a slot, many have voiced frustration with the state's centralized vaccine scheduling system with one Twitter user calling it "a joke."
The issue with the site as it stands is that it links to external websites that aren’t connected to the state scheduling system. Vaccine providers that directly interface with the state scheduling system only appear in the portal if they have available appointments. Websites of providers not connected to the system show up no matter what.
However, the Ohio Capital Journal reports that state officials hope to make it less frustrating next week.
DeWine acknowledged that not everyone has access to the internet. In response, the Ohio Department of Health has bolstered the staff manning its coronavirus hotline to help people schedule a vaccine appointment. If you or someone you know needs help registering, and struggle with using the internet, call the hotline at 1-833-427-5634.
VACCINE SUPPLY
With expanded eligibility, comes more people rushing to get their vaccine, making the search for a shot a bit more difficult for Ohioans.
DeWine said Thursday that currently, the state is averaging 400,000 first doses per week. On the week of March 29, that number is expected to increase to around 500,000 based on data provided by the White House.
Beyond that, DeWine said, he would only be guessing but noted that the Biden administration has given him strong confidence that the number of doses will not go down.
So far, 2.4 million Ohioans have been vaccinated, according to the governor.
COVID-19 DATA
As of Thursday, the number of cases per 100,000 people came in at 143.8 over a two-week period.
This metric is most interesting to Ohioans, as DeWine said once the state hits 50 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, all public health orders would be dropped.
Last Thursday, Ohio was at 155 cases per 100,000 people and the week before, that number came in at 180.
For comparison, at its peak on Dec. 16, 2020, that number was at 845.5 cases per 100,000 people.
At a county level, this data point is dropping as well.
The top county on Thursday was Monroe, coming in at 227 cases per 100,000 people. At the peak of the pandemic, the top counties for this metric were coming in at more than 1,100.
In northwest Ohio, the following counties were listed in the top 20 for highest occurrence:
- Seneca County, with 203 cases per 100,000 people
- Wood County, with 194.2 cases per 100,000 people
- Wyandot County, with 192.9 cases per 100,000 people
- Huron County, with 185.4 cases per 100,000 people
- Lucas County, with 170.9 cases per 100,000 people
In terms of daily data, on Thursday, ODH reported:
- 2104 new cases
- 156 new hospitalizations
Although as of his 2 p.m. briefing, the data was missing the 21-day average as well as the daily ICU admission data.
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
This week, Ohio’s long-term care facilities reported 70 new COVID-19 cases. Last week, that number came in at 157.
To put things in perspective, at the peak of the pandemic in Dec., 2,832 new cases were reported in a one-week period.
In addition to wearing masks, social distancing and cleaning, DeWine said vaccination has had a significant impact vaccination on protecting nursing home residents and preventing severe illness and death among those most at risk of developing severe complications from the virus.
YOST LAWSUIT AGAINST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
On Wednesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced he was suing the Biden administration of its $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that went into effect last week.
In a release, Yost said the American Rescue Plan Act "threatens to withhold needed federal funds from Ohio in an effort to handcuff the state’s authority to make changes to its tax structure and economic policy."
He's seeking to bar the enforcement of the “tax mandate," which he claims exceeds the authority of Congress.
“The federal government should be encouraging states to innovate and grow business, not holding vital relief funding hostage to its preferred pro-tax policies,” Yost said.
On Thursday, just hours before DeWine's conference, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted voiced his support for the suit.
BIDEN VISIT TO COLUMBUS
The same day Yost's lawsuit was announced, President Joe Biden announced that a visit is planned to Ohio's capital to discuss his stimulus plan as well as health care costs.
Biden will be in the Buckeye State on Tuesday, though it isn't known exactly where in Columbus he will be making his statements.