More than 71,600 Ohioans who received top priority — such as nursing home residents, hospital workers, EMS responders and others on front lines — have received their first dose of their vaccination as of Tuesday.
Preble County health commissioner Erik Balster said that at this point, vaccinations are closed to just those in priority groups set by the state.
“We want to get these groups that are being hit the most or being exposed the most ... We will certainly let everyone know public, private sector, or otherwise when they can,” Balster said.
People in those priority groups will learn about how to get a vaccine from their employer or the facility where they live or from whatever other affiliation makes them eligible for the vaccine.
In the next phase, vaccines will be available to those who choose to receive them who are 65 years or older or those living with severe congenital, developmental, or early-onset medical disorders, Gov. Mike DeWine stated last week. Additionally, adults working in Ohio’s schools will have the option to receive the vaccine, which is intended to speed the return to in-person learning.
The vaccines are being distributed through several avenues. Hospitals are getting doses directly shipped to them. Certain pharmacies are contracted to bring vaccinations to nursing homes. Public health departments are reaching out to priority groups not covered by other avenues.
Dan Suffoletto, spokesman for Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, said the department will make announcements on Facebook and social media as well as in the news media in the future with any information about how the public can get vaccines when those plans are formed, but those details are not in place yet.
People who go to current vaccination locations need to show some kind of work ID or other verification to show they are eligible, he said.
Suffoletto said distribution to other members of the public depends on how long it takes to get through the initial eligible groups.
“It’s just that we don’t know when that’s gonna happen yet. It will be in the future, depending on how long it takes to go through this first group and how quickly the vaccine can be manufactured and delivered ... There’s no waiting list or thing you need to sign up for. Once it is announced you’ll be able to go to that location,” Suffoletto said.
More information is on the state dashboard at coronavirus.ohio.gov, including a vaccination dashboard tracking how many vaccines are given out and the demographics of who has received them.
The number of new coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours jumped by just over 3,000, reversing a downward trend as the end of the year approaches.
There were 7,526 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Health, compared to 4,519 cases on Monday for a 3,007 increase.
There also were 151 additional deaths, according to the latest data from the ODH. This pushes the number of cumulative COVID related deaths to 8,722.
In the Dayton-area’s local hospital region, about 1 in 4 patients are COVID-19 positive and about 1 in 4 ICU patients are COVID-19 positive, according to the Ohio Hospital Association.
On average, each day last week local hospitals had at least 12% of their patients with COVID-19, according to hospital-level capacity data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the week of Dec. 18 to Dec. 24, Soin Medical Center had the highest daily average, with 36% of hospitalized patients positive for COVID-19, according to the CDC data.
Vaccines administered
There have been 8,458 vaccines reported administered as of Tuesday in the Miami Valley:
Montgomery County: 2,382
Butler County: 1,574
Warren County: 1,534
Clark County: 1,152
Greene County: 857
Miami County: 440
Champaign County: 200
Darke County: 190
Logan County: 86
Preble County: 43
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