COLUMBUS – Starting Monday, Ohioans age 75 and over will be eligible to start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Coping With Coronavirus”: Find out where vaccinations are available in your area
Supply is still limited but Gov. Mike DeWine says additional shipments are on the way and says the providers of the vaccine have assured him they have the capacity to vaccinate more people if they receive more of the vaccine.
“We can ramp this up significantly. We know the numbers of where they can take [doses] so if we wake up some day and have a whole bunch of more vaccines, we’ll know where to go with them,” DeWine said Thursday during his regular coronavirus briefing.
Ohioans with developmental and intellectual disabilities coupled with severe congenital, developmental, or early-onset medical disorders will also be eligible for the vaccine (see below).
Franklin County Public Health will receive 1,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine which will be used for two clinics Monday and Tuesday. Columbus Public Health has a limited amount of doses and is now scheduling for eligible residents.
Columbus Public Health is now scheduling #COVID19 vaccinations for eligible Columbus and Worthington residents 75 years of age or older in Phase 1B or eligible residents in Phase 1A. Call 614-645-1519 to schedule an appointment or register online at https://t.co/iuIjcGEe6u pic.twitter.com/RQOlWFoQu3
— Columbus Health (@ColumbusHealth) January 25, 2021
The state reported Sunday that 607,893 Ohioans had received the first of two doses of the vaccine, 5.2% of the state’s total population.
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Authorities in Upper Arlington say shots were fired over the weekend into a home owned by an Ohio health department official, but no one was injured.
Police say shots were reported at about 8:00 p.m. Saturday on Berkshire Road at a home Press Secretary Melanie Amato of the Ohio Department of Health confirmed Sunday is owned by Dr. Mary Kate Francis, the department’s assistant medical director.
No one was hurt and no suspects were present when officers arrived. They said the investigation continues and asked anyone with information to come forward. but declined further comment.
Health officials across the nation, including former Ohio Health Department director Dr. Amy Acton, have been the targets of bitter criticism and even death threats during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Ohio reported 4,481 newly confirmed cases of COVID Sunday, for a total of 864,322 cases since the onset of the pandemic.
There were 31 addition deaths reported, bringing the toll to 10,711.
There have been 44,783 hospital admissions, including 98 reported Sunday, with 2,993 patients currently being treated for the virus in hospitals around the state, 11% of Ohio’s total inpatient capacity.
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DeWine has ordered $390 million across-the-board budget cuts for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in June.
The cuts reflect the ongoing economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the state budget.
DeWine announced the cuts Friday while authorizing additional money for the departments of education and higher education of about $260 million.
The governor said that extra money was possible because the spending cuts are less than what was enacted last year.
“As many schools, colleges and universities return to in-person learning, it’s important that the funding be reinstated,” he said in a release announcing the executive order.
In June DeWine cut $775 million from the budget because of plummeting revenue due to the pandemic.