Week in Review 01-15-2021

CORONAVIRUS

The coronavirus.ohio.gov tool, which became available on Friday, Jan. 15, is searchable by zip code and county, but it will not be updated in real-time, the governor said. Those eligible to receive a vaccine should consult local resources to determine up-to-date vaccine availability. Ohioans can find additional information about providers administering vaccines by calling their local health department or visiting their local health department website.

Roughly 800 Ohio health providers will begin administering COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals age 80 and older next week, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday. The governor said there are about 420,000 Ohioans in that age range, and the state is expecting about 100,000 vaccines to be delivered next week. The eligibility timeline for non-80-plus-year-old individuals in Phase 1B is as follows:

– During the week of Monday, Jan. 25, vaccinations are anticipated to begin for those age 75 and up. Vaccinations will also be available to those with severe congenital, developmental, or early-onset medical disorders.

– During the week of Monday, Feb. 1, vaccinations are anticipated to begin for those age 70 and older.

– During the week of Monday, Feb. 8, vaccinations are anticipated to begin for those age 65 and up.

EDUCATION

Gov. Mike DeWine named John Timothy Miller of Akron to the open 7th District seat on the State Board of Education just ahead of the board’s first meeting of the year on Jan. 11 and 12. He replaces Sarah Fowler Arthur, who is the new state representative for the 99th House District.

Members of Ohio’s State Board of Education (SBOE) reelected Laura Kohler and Charlotte McGuire as president and vice president at the board’s first meeting of the new year Monday morning. This will be the duo’s second term as board leaders. Kohler, an at-large member first appointed by former Gov. John Kasich, won 13-5 over Hamilton County’s Jenny Kilgore, who said the board’s focus should be “razor sharp on a good, solid education for K through 12.”

The State Board of Education (SBOE) heard testimony from members of the public, many of whom voiced concerns with current remote learning measures which they said hamper students’ learning and mental health, adding that students should be in the classroom despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Returning and new members of Ohio’s State Board of Education (SBOE) posed questions about the state’s pandemic response to officials with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) during the board’s Tuesday meeting. John Richard, deputy state superintendent, led the discussion and said the department’s “underlying philosophy” for handling the pandemic has been local control.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY/STATEHOUSE

In a wide-ranging interview former Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina) looked back on his nearly 10 years in the Senate — and four years as Senate president — telling Hannah News that tax cuts, regulatory reforms, anti-abortion measures, gun rights expansions, school voucher increases, human trafficking law modifications and water quality protections are among the upper chamber’s most significant achievements over that time.