Ohio has updated its public health advisory system, with Montgomery County remaining at the highest alert level, purple level 4. Meanwhile, Warren County has been taken off the list of counties on the verge of being moved to level 4, leaving it at level 3.
DeWine vetoes bill that would limit public health orders
Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill on Thursday that would limit the power of public health orders, only allowing the Department of Health to order quarantines on people who are sick or directly exposed to an infectious disease, while giving lawmakers the ability to take down state public health orders. Reader reactions to this news were split, with some praising the governor and others calling him as a dictator.
More vaccine details to come today
DeWine announced on Thursday that the state would release more information today about its plans to distribute a coronavirus vaccine. He said that Ohio is still discussing with the federal government how much vaccine we will receive and when. DeWine has previously said Ohio is expecting to receive 98,000 Pfizer vaccines in the first week, joined by Moderna vaccines the next week.
Case surge causing contact tracing delays
Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County said that spikes in coronavirus cases reported in Montgomery County resulted in a large backlog of cases requiring contact tracing. So, Public Health is asking anyone who tests positive to reach out to everyone who they think may have been exposed as a close contact, meaning they spent at least 15 minutes within 6 feet. Close contacts should quarantine for 14 days.
Nearly 9,000 cases reported Thursday, statewide hospitalizations slightly down
Ohio reported just under 9,000 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the total to 446,849 since the beginning of the pandemic. New hospitalizations came in at just under 400 in 24 hours. Across the state, hospitalizations have slightly decreased from 5,219 reported Wednesday to 5,142 on Thursday.
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