In the past 24 hours, the Ohio Department of Health reported 2,799 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the state’s current total cases to 937,541. The 21-day case average currently sits at 3,700, down from yesterday’s average of 3,846.
In the past 24 hours, ODH reported 1,204 new deaths. Today’s death totals are high, as the state is reconciling about 4,000 deaths caused by COVID-19 that went underreported throughout the past few months. The current death average sits at 270, which is much higher due to excess reconciled deaths from earlier dates.
“Newly reported deaths will be higher during the next few days as ODH completes this reconciliation,” read a message on the COVID-19 dashboard.
On Thursday Gov. Mike DeWine announced that a statewide curfew ended after the state reported less than 2,500 hospitalizations for more than seven consecutive days.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he diverted COVID-19 vaccines to K-12 school employees, but that some districts have broken their promise to return to in-person learning.
The governor said during a Friday evening media briefing that all but one of the state’s public school systems — Jefferson Twp. Schools in Montgomery County — committed to returning to hybrid or full in-person learning by March 1, which was a requirement for receiving the vaccines.
“We have now completed vaccines in Cincinnati Public Schools. However, we have now learned that Walnut Hills (High School) will remain remote for the rest of this year,” DeWine said.
He said the commitment to return to hybrid or in-classroom education “was not just a commitment to me, but a commitment to the children.”
“This is not acceptable. This is about the kids,” DeWine said.
Students are falling behind, there are mental health issues as well due to kids not being in the classroom, he said.
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