COLUMBUS – With the state continuing to show progress in battling the deadly coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine has again dropped the minimum age eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations, this time to those 50 years or older.
DeWine announced Monday that the minimum age will be lowered from 60 years as of Thursday, making another 1.2 million Ohioans eligible to receive the vaccines.
That is one week since the last age reductions.
Nearly 2 million Ohioans, or about 17% of the state’s population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine. That includes 65% of those age 80 and older, who have been eligible the longest, but less than 20% of those in the 60-64 age group who became eligible less than a week ago.
Nearly 10% of the population has completed the vaccine regimen.
DeWine also announced that approximately 197,000 Ohioans with certain medical conditions not addressed in previous phases, including Type II diabetes and end-stage renal disease, will be eligible for the vaccines.
Franklin County Public Health is scheduling appointments on its website for COVID-19 vaccination clinics that will be held on Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile, the state’s long-awaited state vaccine website was up and running Monday. The site is meant to provide one-stop searches for available vaccination appointments around the state, relieving people from having to search or call multiple providers seeking appointments.
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DeWine also announced that he is issuing a proclamation Tuesday marking March 9 as a day of remembrance for victims of COVID-19 and those who have worked to combat the pandemic.
March 9, 2020, was the date when the first confirmed case of the disease was reported in Ohio.
DeWine has ordered flags flown at half-staff across the state and says a memorial grove will be established in the future at one of Ohio’s state parks to honor the victims of the pandemic.
The state Monday reported 1,254 additional cases of COVID-19, an increase over the 735 cases reported Sunday but still below the 21-day average. A total of 979,725 have contracted the disease in the first year of the pandemic.
There were 84 additional hospital admissions Monday, bringing the total number of people hospitalized in the first year to 50,965. The 830 people currently hospitalized are occupying 3.02% of the state’s inpatient capacity.
There have been 17,502 deaths, according to the latest data from the state Department of Health.
The seven-day positivity rate is 3% and there are currently 34,979 active cases of the coronavirus in the state.