Ohio鈥檚 current COVID-19 hospitalizations and average new case numbers continued a downward slide on Thursday as more people receive vaccinations against the coronavirus.
Still, the virus remains widespread throughout the state, with all but four of Ohio鈥檚 88 counties at the second highest alert level for viral spread.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the state鈥檚 chief medical officer, urged Ohioans to continue wearing masks and maintaining physical distance from one another, particularly as new strains of the virus circulate.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 very important that we don鈥檛 declare victory too quickly,鈥� Vanderhoff said. 鈥淢ake no mistake, vaccines are working very, very well, but our national vaccination effort needs more time.鈥�
Ohio remains focused on vaccinating people age 65 and older, and hasn鈥檛 yet lowered the eligible age, Gov. Mike DeWine said. The week鈥檚 winter weather has slowed down distribution.
Younger Ohioans in certain groups鈥攕uch as school staff, those with specific medical conditions and frontline health workers鈥攔emain eligible for the vaccine.
The state is receiving roughly 200,000 first doses each week, with about a quarter going to educators and the rest available for seniors, DeWine said.
Meanwhile, the state has launched a vaccine 鈥渕aintenance program鈥� for staff and residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities who did not receive vaccines the first time around, the governor said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a dramatic, dramatic drop in cases in our nursing homes, and we鈥檙e very happy about that,鈥� DeWine said, 鈥渂ut we just want to continue to keep driving those numbers down, because we know that over half the people who have died in Ohio of COVID have died coming out of the nursing homes.鈥�
Still, there was some evidence of uneven vaccine rollout, as the governor faced media questions about patients who鈥檇 reportedly been turned away despite eligible medical conditions.
DeWine emphasized that people younger than 65 have every right to a COVID-19 vaccine shot.
鈥淲e have 700-and-some providers, there鈥檚 always someone who just doesn鈥檛 get the message, I guess,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e doing it one more time today and we鈥檙e saying it as strongly as I can say it: We have a list. You should be looking at the list.鈥�
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