COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio has entered its next big step in the COVID-19 pandemic as the state officially lifted its health orders overnight – including the mask mandate and social distancing guidelines.
The change, however, comes with roughly 37 percent of Ohioans fully vaccinated and nearly 46 percent receiving at least one dose.
Now, Ohio health officials are press conference Wednesday morning on the importance of getting a COVID vaccine. Those involved with the press conference included:
- Bruce Vanderhoff: Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer
- Patty Manning-Courtney: Chief of Staff at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
- Jeffery Swartz: Family physician with geriatrics specialty at Mercy Health – Waterville Family Medicine
"The more Ohioans who are vaccinated, the more we can protect ourselves and one another," Dr. Vanderhoff said.
After recapping how effective the COVID vaccines have been, Dr. Vanderhoff also addressed concern of breakthrough infections by saying it's a rare occurrence.
“What I do think they [vaccinated people] need to be remembering, though, is that vaccines, while very, very good, have never been -- and will never be -- 100 percent. There are a lot of factors involved with the response to a vaccine – including your own immune system’s response.”
Dr. Vanderhoff also stressed that we're still in the midst of the pandemic, urging Ohioans to maintain cautious behavior. His comments echo that of Gov. Mike DeWine, who is asking all unvaccinated Ohioans to continue wearing a mask and following other safety protocols while indoors.
A few select orders remain in place, however, namely those mandating face masks at health care facilities and nursing homes. Those facilities -- as well as grade schools -- are also still required to notify residents, students, parents or other relevant parties of any positive or probable COVID-19 cases.
You can track the latest COVID-19 vaccination data with the interactive map below (the darker green indicates states with the highest vaccination rates):
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