COVID-19 Update: Delta Variant, School Policies
August 17, 2021
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, M.D. today updated Ohioans about the state of the COVID-19 virus in Ohio.
“The spread of the Delta variant has dramatically accelerated since I last spoke 10 days ago. We are at the high level of cases since last February,” said Governor DeWine.
Today 3,235 positive COVID-19 cases were reported. To put that into context, there have been three days in the last week with more than 3,000 newly reported cases. Prior to the past week, there hasn’t been a single day with over 3,000 newly reported cases since February.
While vaccinations across the state continue, for children ages 12 to 17 years old, only 35% of them are currently vaccinated.
“The best way to make sure that your child can stay in school and not have his or her classes interrupted is for that child to be vaccinated. If that child cannot be vaccinated, then best way to ensure a good school year is for that child to wear a mask in class,” added Governor DeWine.
School officials making decisions about their district’s mask policy should refer to the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 Health and Prevention Guidance for Ohio K-12 Schools released earlier this summer.
“Delta isn’t just a danger to adults. While children are less likely than adults to get severely ill from COVID-19, they are not invincible and most certainly can, and do, become ill. And, indeed, our children’s hospitals continue to see tragic cases of previously healthy children struck down by this virus and now requiring intensive medical care. And, of course, when either children or adults become sick from COVID-19, they can spread it to others who may then suffer severe health outcomes, or even death, said Dr. Vanderhoff. “The bottom line is that COVID-19 is a very bad virus, even for our children. Without question, vaccinations are the best protection one can have from COVID-19.”
CASE DATA/VACCINE INFORMATION
In-depth COVID-19 data for Ohio: coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Ohio’s central scheduling system: gettheshot.
All vaccine providers: vaccine.