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COVID-19

Cases in state jump up in July

Ohio has experienced a 76 percent increase in new COVID-19 cases this month, with today not counted yet, compared with the number in June. June had the fewest COVID-19 cases of any full month since the start of the pandemic with 9,390. As of Friday, July had 16,484 cases. This month already has exceeded the next two lowest months — April 2020 with 15,828 reported cases and June 2020 with 16,276 cases. It needs only 1,003 cases reported today to end with more than the fourth-lowest month, May 2020 with 17,486 cases. It’s had more than 1,100 reported cases daily since ...

Ohio offers new vaccine incentives

COLUMBUS — State employees will receive $100 for getting the coronavirus vaccine and their spouses will receive $25 if they also get vaccinated, under a new incentive program offered by Gov. Mike DeWine. The Republican governor announced the offer as state vaccination efforts stall amid spiking case numbers and hospitalizations. “Vaccines are the most effective strategy at stopping the spread of COVID-19 and preventing serious illness,” DeWine said. Only about 5.4 million people or 46 percent of the population have completed the vaccination process as of Thursday, according ...

CDC recommends mask-wearing for Valley

Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana are among 23 Ohio counties considered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be areas with high or substantial COVID-19 transmission. Everyone in those listed counties, including people fully vaccinated, is asked by the CDC to wear face masks while indoors. But it is only a recommendation. Columbiana is among four counties in the 88-county state listed as having a high COVID-19 transmission while Mahoning and Trumbull are among 19 Ohio counties listed as having substantial transmission. None of the other counties listed in either ...

State exceeds 1,000 cases for 1st time in 2 months

For the first time in more than two months, Ohio exceeded 1,000 reported COVID-19 cases in a single day. The 1,317 cases reported Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Health is the first time the state went over 1,000 since 1,208 were reported May 20. It’s also the most cases reported in a single day in Ohio since May 12 with 1,449. The delta variant among the unvaccinated, which spreads quickly, largely is to blame for the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the state, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH’s chief medical officer, said. Just three weeks ago, Ohio was averaging about 260 ...

Unvaccinated people cited for rise in cases

With COVID-19 cases remaining high, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Ohio Department of Health’s chief medical officer, again urged people to get vaccinated. The delta variant among unvaccinated people is largely causing a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the state, Vanderhoff said Monday. “After a period of decline, we continue to see a pattern of COVID-19 cases rising again in Ohio” because of the contagious delta variant, Vanderhoff said. The vaccination provides the “best protection” against the virus, he said. But less than half of the state’s population has been ...

Vaccinations increase slightly within Valley

Saturday’s data from the Ohio Department of Health showed slightly more Mahoning Valley residents began the vaccination process within the previous 24 hours than in the 24 hours before Friday’s report. In Trumbull County, 136 people received their first shot, compared to the previous day’s 125, finally bumping the county over 45 percent of the population at least partially vaccinated. In Mahoning County, 165 people began the vaccination process — 15 more than reported the previous day — meaning 47.38 percent of the county is at least partially vaccinated. In Columbiana ...