Thread by @GeoffWSYX6

#NEW: @GovMikeDeWine announces Ohio will BROADEN the eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine.

Ohioans 50 OR OLDER can get a shot beginning THURSDAY.

ALSO: this new “Phase 1D” and “Phase 2B” will include Type-2 diabetes and the end-stage renal disease.

DeWine now speaking about alleged hazing death at @bgsu: “We should resolve that Ohio become a hazing-free state...it’s clear to me that in 2021, we still have a culture problem among some people.

We cannot tolerate this. This just must change.”

Here's our latest on the @bgsu case 👇
abc6onyourside.com/news/local/del…

Sheriffs of Madison & Union Counties, as well as @OSHP Col. Richard Fambro all called out and thanked for getting their first COVID shot publicly last week.

ALSO: @GovMikeDeWine now announcing what we learned earlier, about the state's one-stop COVID vaccine sign-up website. It's finally LIVE today.

Here it is: gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov

DeWine: "We will also be using this central scheduling tool for appointments at the mass vaccination clinics we announced on Friday."

That includes one in Columbus, dates not yet announced.

DeWine's press secretary Dan Tierney confirms the COVID vaccine sign-up website will be ready to handle the newly-eligible groups on Thursday, as they become eligible (Ohioans 50-or-older being the largest group among those, 1-million-plus)

Ohio's chief medical officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff shares an update on newer COVID variants. All 5 major int'l variants have been identified here.

"We expect a growing number of these variants, including – as we expected – B117 (Great Britain variant), which is leading the way."

On unemployment fraud issues, @GovMikeDeWine says @OhioJFS has signed a contract with IBM for call-center help, and another with @LexisNexis for help identifying fraudulent benefit applications.

A presentation from Jeff Ficke, who heads up the public sector team working to fix @OhioJFS fraud/efficiency issues, outlines goals including clearing the backlog of unemployment cases and consolidating data into a more user-friendly means that allows analysis and aids decisions.

Here's what @LtGovHusted is talking about on today's briefing. His audio is pretty quiet so I can't really understand him, but the thread is below

https://twitter.com/LtGovHusted/status/1369007833417740288?s=20

In Q&A, @GovMikeDeWine says his second COVID vaccination resulted in only a sore arm the first night.

Asked about @CDCgov guidance, that fully-vaccinated adults may gather, @GovMikeDeWine: "They're talking about not public events...they're talking about what people do within their homes, which is a practical matter. We never regulated that."

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff adds: "Less than 10% of the country is fully-vaccinated," and says those numbers ought to improve drastically before people gather publicly, uninhibited.

On @RepBalderson's push to open nursing homes fully: "We can't give up our defensive tools until we've beaten the virus fully...we continue to evaluate exactly what we can do, in a safe way, in our nursing homes & assisted living."

Says he spoke to Rep. Balderson this morning.

DeWine (cont'd): "For some time we've allowed visitation in assisted living, but we are going to expand that...not only can they have visitation, but they can have it in the residents' room. Whether that's an individual, or a couple."

Says letter will be going out within days."

Dr. Vanderhoff, on whether restrictions will remain in some counties if they remain "high incidence" even as rest of state drops below 50 cases/100K people: "We have high confidence in the threshold...I would be surprised if we found counties markedly outside that target."

DeWine says "it would have to be a pretty unique and compelling case" to leave some counties with restrictions even after the rest of the state drops its health orders.

On debuting the one-stop website, DeWine says Ohio has "challenged providers, over 1200 of them, to interface with it." Hospitals still need 10 more days to link up w/ it.

A good number are still only "links" on the site, redirecting to provider's own website according to DeWine

DeWine is asked about lifting restrictions region-by-region, instead of statewide?

"Our intention...is to go statewide."

DeWine is asked how 50 cases/100K people will be announced, when reached: "We'll post every Thursday, so everyone will have chance to see the statewide number."

On when it might occur: "I really don't know...maybe 2mos?...it's how we execute, continue to vaccinate."

In closing, DeWine notes tomorrow is 1 year since Ohio's first *confirmed* case of COVID-19 (there have since been earlier-identified cases).

@GovMikeDeWine will mark March 9th, 2021 as a "Day of Remembrance" for lives lost & those part of the battle. Flags will be a half-staff.

Ohio is also planning a memorial grove to honor COVID-19 victims.