Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for Thursday March 18, 2021

Below are the updates from Governor DeWine’s press conference. The next press conference is currently scheduled for TODAY Friday, March 19th at 12:30pm.

Here’s the news from Thursday: 

Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
    *   847,505 confirmed cases
    *   148,280 probable cases
    *   995,785 total cases
    *   51,993 hospitalizations
    *   17,992 Ohio resident deaths
    *   18,114 deaths in State of Ohio
    *   7,312 ICU admissions
    *   143.8 cases per 100,000 Ohioans (updated weekly on Thursdays and can be found HERE
    *   More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.

OHIO PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY SYSTEM

• New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health shows declining rates of COVID-19 exposure and spread in ten counties.
• Dropping from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2: Ashtabula, Carroll, Fayette, Jackson, Morrow, and Tuscarawas.
• Dropping from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1:  Auglaize, Mercer, Shelby, and Vinton

NURSING HOME UPDATE

This week, Ohio’s long-term care facilities reported just 70 new COVID-19 cases, compared to 157 new cases reported the previous week and 2,832 new cases reported at the peak of the pandemic in December.

A total of 93 percent of Ohio’s nursing homes and 77 percent of assisted living facilities have signed up to get additional vaccine for new staff and new residents through Ohio’s COVID-19 Vaccine Maintenance Program.

Governor DeWine urged the 243 facilities in Ohio that have not requested additional vaccine for new staff and residents to alert the state to its process to offer the vaccine by filling out the survey at aging.ohio.gov/COVIDvaccine.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has expanded the eligibility of the COVID-19 Indoor Air Quality Assistance Program, which provides reimbursements to eligible applicants to help cover the costs of inspections, assessments, maintenance, and improvements to indoor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to control the spread of COVID-19.

The program also provides reimbursement for secondary devices designed to destroy bacteria, mold, and viruses.

Launched in December, this $28 million federally-funded program targeted nursing homes, assisted living centers, and adult day centers that invested in HVAC improvements that weaken COVID-19’s spread.

The expanded eligibility extends to:

• Intermediate care facilities;
• Hospices;
• Senior centers;
• Adult care facilities;
• Waiver settings (group homes); and
• Substance use treatment centers.

More information, including the application, can be found at BWC.ohio.gov.

SPECIAL ELECTION

Governor DeWine announced special election dates for the 11th Congressional District to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Marcia Fudge.

The vacancy opened after the United States Senate confirmed now-Secretary Marcia Fudge on March 10 to serve as the head of the Department of Housing & Urban Development, and her subsequent resignation of her congressional seat.

A Writ of Election may only be issued upon the resignation of a member of Congress.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• May 5th: Declaration of candidacies for partisan candidates must be filed with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
• May 24th: Declaration of candidacies for write-in candidates must be filed with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
• May 25th: The county board of elections must certify the names of the candidates that will appear on the special primary ballot
• July 6th: Eligible Ohioans who want to cast a ballot in the Special Congressional Primary Election must register to vote by this date
• August 3rd: The Special Election Congressional Primary takes place
• October 4th: Eligible Ohioans who want to cast a ballot in the Special Congressional General Election must register to vote by this date
• November 2nd: The Special Congressional General Election
• November 23rd: Boards must complete and certify official canvass

The amount of time between the governor’s Writ of Election announcement and the Special Congressional Primary and General Elections are very similar compared to the previous two special elections.

Ohioans interested in registering to vote or signing up to be a poll worker should visit VoteOhio.gov for more information.

NEW PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Today, Governor DeWine unveiled two new public services announcements aimed at encouraging Ohioans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The first PSA features older Ohioans from throughout Ohio who discuss how they feel now that they've been vaccinated.

The second PSA features Anthony Munoz, retired Cincinnati Bengal and Pro Football Hall of Famer, who was recently vaccinated.

CASE DATA & VACCINE INFORMATION

 *   In-depth COVID-19 data for Ohio: coronavirus.ohio.gov.
 *   Ohio's central scheduling system:   gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov
 *   All vaccine providers: vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov
 *   More vaccine information: coronavirus.ohio.gov/vaccine

Attached are the slides Governor DeWine used during today’s press conference.

Ohioans can apply for unemployment benefits online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at unemployment.ohio.gov. It is also possible to file by phone at 877-644-6562 or TTY at 888- 642-8203, Monday through Friday 7AM to 7PM, Saturday 9AM to 5PM, and Sunday 9AM to 1PM. Employers with questions should email UCTech@jfs.ohio.gov.

As always, Coronavirus.Ohio.Gov and the Department of Health hotline, 1-833-4-ASK-ODH are great resources for those who have questions.