COLUMBUS – Ohio will move to the second phase of vaccine distribution in about two weeks, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.
The populations during that phase of the statewide vaccination program include teachers and other school employees, people older than 65 and those with severe medical disorders (see below).
DeWine said the goals of the first and second phases remain the same: to save lives, protect health care workers, and get children back to school by March 1.
The governor says about 2.2 million people are in this second group. Details on how and where the vaccines will be administered will be released later.
Ohio is currently receiving roughly 100,000 vaccines each week, although that number could increase if more vaccines are approved for administration.
“I don’t like it, and I’m anxious to move forward, but we play with the hand we’re dealt,” he said.
Phase 1A, which is currently underway, includes approximately 1 million Ohioans It is anticipated that vaccine distribution in Phase 1B will begin as Phase 1A begins to wind down.
Currently, the state reports 175,408 people have received the first of two vaccine doses, or about 1.5% of the total state population.
Phase 1B focuses largely on those who are 65 and older, the age group that is most vulnerable to COVID-19 and which makes up more than 87 percent of Ohioans who have died from the virus, DeWine said. It also includes teachers and other school staff who will be offered the vaccine in an effort to get Ohio’s children back to school as soon as possible.
As of Sunday, approximately 61% of Ohio nursing homes have been visited by a pharmacy vaccine provider but only approximately 40% of staff members have chosen to receive the vaccination, compared with 75% to 80% of residents, DeWine said.
A coronavirus variation that was first seen in the United Kingdom has been reported in Colorado and California and Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Chief Medical Officer for the Ohio Department of Health, predicts it will eventually be detected in Ohio, which could mean a greater spread of COVID-19 because the variant’s is more contagious.
“Fortunately, this variant doesn’t appear to be more severe or to impact those who are already immune, but it worries us because a more contagious variant could lead to more people getting sick, more people being hospitalized, and more people dying,” Vanderhoff said.
Ohio currently has three times the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations that it had on Nov. 1 and nearly seven times the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations that it had on Oct. 1, Vanderhoff said.
There were 4,446 Ohioans in the hospital with COVID-19 Tuesday, occupying about 16% of the statewide inpatient capacity, though the rates are higher in some localities.
He stressed the importance of continuing prevention measures like social distancing, avoiding crowds, washing hands, wearing masks, and accepting the vaccine when available.
The state Tuesday reported 7,580 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, slightly higher than the 21-day average, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 735,003
There were 104 deaths reported, higher than the three-week average of 76 per day, and 538 hospitalizations, well above the 21-day average of 322 per day.
The state’s seven-day positivity rate is 14.6%.