DeWine: Vaccine next phase Jan. 19

CELINA - Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday announced people in Phase 1B of the state's COVID-19 vaccination plan will be able to receive vaccines beginning Jan. 19.

The announcement arrived as Mercer County reported one new death and 27 new cases on Wednesday and 13 new cases on Thursday, raising the county's death toll to 67 and total number of cases to 3,493.

In Auglaize County, one new death and 33 new cases on Wednesday and 34 new cases on Thursday raised that county's confirmed number of cases to 2,949 and death toll to 46.

Phase 1B includes people over the age of 65, people with severe congenital, developmental or early onset medical disorders and adults who work in schools, according to the governor's news release.

Those 80 years old and older, about 420,000 Ohioans, will be prioritized in Phase 1B, according to the release. Ohio is expected to receive 100,000 doses during the first week of Phase 1B.

Vaccines for Ohioans 80 years old and older will be administered by physicians, at local health departments, hospitals, federally qualified health centers, by in-home health service providers and at some retail pharmacies. As of Thursday, the Ohio Department of Health has about 1,700 providers registered to distribute vaccines.

Vaccinations for people over the age of 75 and those with severe congenital, developmental or early onset medical disorders will begin Jan. 25, according to a Mercer County Health District news release. Further information on how these individuals can receive their vaccinations will be announced soon.

The vaccine will be available for people 70 years old and older as well as school employees on Feb. 1. Those 65 and older will be eligible starting Feb. 8.

Health district officials are continuing to plan local vaccination clinics, according to the release. They also continue to vaccinate people eligible for vaccination in Phase 1A. These people include health care workers routinely involved in the care of COVID-19 patients, residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, EMS responders and people with developmental disabilities and mental health disorders who live in group homes and the staff who care for them.

Anyone who is eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 1A and has not yet been vaccinated is encouraged to call the health district at 419-586-3251, ext. 1462, to schedule an appointment.

Officials asked people not to call the health district to request the vaccine unless they qualify for Phase 1A and haven't been contacted yet.

The next scheduled COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be on Wednesday at the Mercer County Central Services Building.

Officials on Thursday also reported nine current hospitalizations and since the beginning of the pandemic has recorded 626 probable cases, 18 probable deaths, and 3,208 people who have recovered. Of the 3,493 confirmed cases, 197 are active. Health district staff have administered 250 COVID-19 vaccines so far.

Officials also provided more information on previously reported deaths. The 66th death involved a 96-year-old man from Fort Recovery and the 67th death involved an 84-year-old man from Celina.

Auglaize County Health Department Public Information Officer Caitlin Decker on Thursday said the 46th death involved a man between the ages of 70-90.

Officials in their release also reported 891 probable cases, 152 total hospitalizations, 46 deaths and 3,195 people who are presumed to have recovered.

The breakdown of total cases by community is Wapakoneta, 1,368; St. Marys, 1,111; Minster, 420; New Bremen, 378; Cridersville, 206; Waynesfield, 149; New Knoxville, 106; Spencerville, 26; the Lima area, 25; Uniopolis, 11; Buckland, 10; St. Johns, seven; New Hampshire, seven; the Botkins area, six; the Lakeview area, five; the Mendon area, two; the Fort Loramie area, two; and the Harrod area, one.

As of Thursday night, the Ohio Department of Health had reported 753,068 confirmed and probable cases in the state, 40,469 hospitalizations and 9,462 confirmed and probable deaths from the virus since the pandemic began.

COVID-19 cases/deaths:

There were 40 new cases in Mercer County. Auglaize had 67.