The Delaware Public Health District reports that it provided close to 5,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to county residents Saturday at Olentangy Berlin High School.
Of those, more than 3,700 K-12 employees received their second dose, and more than 1,000 people received their first dose at the all-day clinic staffed by DPHD and volunteers.
“We want to again thank the amazing staff and volunteers at Olentangy (Local) Schools,” the district posted Monday on Facebook. “We are so grateful for these community partnerships.”
Those helping out included Kiwanis clubs from Delaware, Delaware County, Powell and Sunbury Big Walnut, as well as the American Red Cross.
The DPHD’s COVID-19 vaccine breakdown shows 15,100 total doses have been received so far (up 1,800 from the previous week), with 13,639 administered (90% of doses received have been used). There are 2,814 upcoming appointments, 681 doses reserved for this week’s clinics, and 31 registered individuals on the waitlist.
On March 5, the district’s Trends Report started providing a weekly average of new cases reported. “The health district this week saw an average of 14 new cases per day per 100,000 population,” the DPHD posted.
Locally, the Community Library in Sunbury said it is offering free COVID-19 rapid Antigen At-Home Test kits. To obtain the test results, individuals must have a laptop or desktop computer with adjustable webcam, microphone and speaker, a mobile device, an email address, and an internet connection.
“The test is provided by the State of Ohio at no cost to you,” the library said in an email. “If you or someone you know needs a test, stop by Community Library’s front desk or visit our drive-thru to pick up your kit.” For more information, call the library at 740-965-3901.
The Ohio Department of Health is reporting 39,872 Delaware County residents, or 19% of the population, has started on the vaccine. Of those, 22,835 people, or nearly 11% of the county’s population, has completed being vaccinated. The DPHD has noted the discrepancies in totals between it and the ODH are because the portions of Columbus, Dublin, and Westerville that are in Delaware County are being handled by either Columbus Public Health or Franklin County Public Health.
The ODH’s vaccination dashboard shows 1,134,801 people have completed the vaccine, less than 10% of the population; and 1,997,268 people, or 17% of the state, has started on the vaccine. There are more than 1,200 vaccine provider locations in the state.
Effective March 4, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Phase 1C and Phase 2 vaccination eligibility. Phase 1C consists of those with the medical conditions of ALS, bone marrow recipients, pregnant women, Type 1 diabetes; and workers in child care services (including teachers), funeral services and law enforcement. This represents more than a total of 400,000 Ohioans. Phase 2 opens with vaccinations for Ohioans 60 years old and above, representing about 695,000 Ohioans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 92 million total doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, and more than 116 million doses have been distributed.
The Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center said West Virginia has the highest percent of its population by state fully vaccinated, at 19%. By population, California has the most people fully vaccinated at more than 3.3 million.
Since Jan. 20, the Biden-Harris administration has supported the establishment or expansion of 441 community vaccination centers across the country, the White House announced last week. The administration is delivering more than 25 million masks to more than 1,300 community health centers and 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens.
President Joe Biden announced last week that through the use of the Defense Production Act, Johnson & Johnson and Merck will be able manufacture vaccine around-the-clock, ensuring America will have enough vaccine supply for every adult by the end of May, instead of the previously-announced end of July.
Lastly, Biden reminded Americans that there was a special health insurance enrollment period that more than 200,000 citizens have used to get covered in the past two weeks.
“There is plenty of time left to sign up, and I encourage everyone who needs health insurance to go to HealthCare.gov before May 15,” Biden said in a statement. “If you already have coverage, you can help family members and friends who are uninsured get themselves covered.”
