COLUMBUS – Ohioans will wake up to brave new world Wednesday.
That is when pandemic health orders, which have kept them behind masks and dining in half-empty restaurants for months, will be rescinded.
Gov. Mike DeWine last month announced that, barring a surge in cases of COVID-19, which has not occurred, the health orders issued to slow the spread of the disease that has been sickening people the world over for over a year..
Fully vaccinated residents of Ohio will be allowed to go about their business without wearing masks, except for those living in congregate living settings like jails, prisons, nursing homes, assisted living facilities or those who attend adult day care centers for elderly adults.
-0-
Kids at summer camps can skip wearing masks outdoors, with some exceptions, under new guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday.
The agency recommends that children who aren’t fully vaccinated still wear masks outside when they’re in crowds or in sustained close contact with others – and when they are inside. But fully vaccinated kids need not wear masks, indoors or outside.
-0-
The growth in the number of Ohioans getting vaccinated against COVID-19 spurred by the beginning of the Vax-a-Million lottery drawing waned significantly in the second week of the incentive program.
The Ohio Department of Health has reported a weekly average increase of 77% among Ohioans getting vaccine doses following Gov. Mike DeWine’s May 12 announcement of the program, but while there was 106% increase during the first week of the program, the increase in Week 2 was only 48% when compared to the week before the announcement.
There has been a 28% increase in shots per week among those age 16 years and older but the 44% increase noted during the first week fell to 12%in the second week.
The second winners of $1 million and a four-year full college scholarship has already taken place and the winners will be announced Wednesday.
A total of 5,298,081 Ohioans, or 45.32% of the state’s population, have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 4,653,326 – 39.81% of the population – have been fully vaccinated.
The state Sunday reported 377 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday for a total of 1,101,934 cases resulting in 19,861 deaths in Ohio since the onset of the pandemic.
There were 18,295 active cases with 723 of those patients being treated in hospitals. A total of 59,155 Ohioans have been hospitalized with COVID-19 the pandemic with 11 new admissions Sunday.