Ohio will get more than 500,000 does of all three COVID-19 vaccines next week. Gov. Mike DeWine says it’s by far the highest amount the state has received so far. 571,460 doses of all three vaccines are headed to Ohio in the first three days of next week.
But DeWine said the state isn’t any closer to his goal of 50 cases per 100,000 residents, when restrictions such as the mask mandate will be lifted. In fact, the number went up slightly for the first time since mid-January.
“Cases have consistently fallen statewide since our peak in December but that decline has stopped, and we have now really flattened that out," DeWine said. "A statewide case rate of 146.9 is still very high.”
Fifty-five counties are listed in red on the state’s alert map, which is the lowest number since Oct. 29. But case rates were up in 52 of 88 counties.
Eleven stationary sites, four mobile clinics, and 1,300 providers are distributing the shots, including the mass vaccination clinic at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland, which has delivered 46,000 shots in nine days.
“It's literally a race between how fast we can get people vaccinated and how fast people are willing to take the vaccine versus the variant," DeWine said. "And, you know, we now have it looks like enough firepower just to keep going and going."
DeWine also announced Google has agreed to conduct data analysis on all outstanding unemployment claims to review for markers for fraud. And he said former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio David DeVillers will join the investigation into thousands of fraudulent claims filed with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
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