Throughout the week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted provided updates on Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other state initiatives.
For the fourth week, Governor DeWine toured COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the state, including stops in Morgan, Monroe, Vinton, Montgomery, Clark, Allen, and Hardin counties. To date, Governor DeWine has visited clinics in 22 counties.
On Monday,?Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted announced the approval of assistance for seven projects set to create 992 new jobs and retain 1,047 jobs statewide. During its monthly meeting, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA) reviewed economic development proposals brought to the board by JobsOhio and its regional partners. Collectively, the projects are expected to result in more than $64 million in new payroll and spur more than $778 million in investments across Ohio.
On Wednesday, Governor DeWine signed?House Bill 74, Ohio?s Fiscal Year 2022-2023 transportation budget, into law.
?This budget ensures that we can continue to maintain and invest in Ohio?s roadways,? said Governor DeWine. ?Ohio?s transportation system continues to be a critical part of our economy, moving materials and people safely across our state. This budget advances our commitment to invest in state and locally-maintained roadways.??
House Bill 74, sponsored by Representative Scott Oelslager, was approved with bipartisan support in both the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate, investing $8.3 billion over the biennial.
Additionally, the biennial budget includes various provisions to enhance and expand services offered by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, requires the completion of classroom or online instruction for driver?s training before beginning behind-the-wheel instruction, repurposes closed weigh stations, and creates a school zone around a preschool.
Governor DeWine also signed the following bills into law on Wednesday:
Senate Bill 18, sponsored by Senators Kristina Roegner and Tim Schaffer, incorporates federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) changes into Ohio's tax code, amends Section 36 of House Bill 481 of the 133rd General Assembly to modify the law governing taxation, and declares an emergency.
House Bill 128, sponsored by Representatives Jim Hoops and Dick Stein, repeals nuclear provisions of House Bill 6 of the 133rd General Assembly and makes changes to electric utility service law.
Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Senators Kristina Roegner and Bill Blessing III, enters Ohio into the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact. The compact will make it easier for Ohio's physical therapists to practice in other compact states, and non-Ohio physical therapists to practice here.
Senate Bill 7, sponsored by Kristina Roegner, enters Ohio into the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. The compact is not yet active, but nine other potential member states have pending legislation to join.?
On Thursday, Governor DeWine announced that the state will begin working with local colleges and universities to offer vaccination clinics on campuses across the state. These higher-education vaccination clinics will start on various campuses next week and will offer the?one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.?
"Although young people are less likely to get sick from the coronavirus, they are significant carriers of the virus," said Governor DeWine. "By offering one-dose clinics on campus, students who wish to be vaccinated will have a nearby, convenient location to get the vaccine with their peers."
The goal is to offer on-campus clinics to all of Ohio's college students before the school year ends in May.?
WORKPLACE VACCINATIONS
Governor DeWine also announced that Ohio will begin working with employers and other organizations to offer workplace vaccination clinics throughout Ohio. Beginning the week of April 12, vaccine providers can allot up to 25 percent of their vaccine allocation to be used to vaccinate their own employees or to partner with local employers, labor unions, and other organizations to vaccinate their employees at their work locations.?
INCREASE IN CASES, VARIANT SPREAD
For the past two Thursdays, Ohio's statewide average was just under 150 cases per 100,000 population. The two-week case rate has now risen to 167.1 cases per 100,000. New cases had been relatively flat through the month of March, but cases are beginning to increase once again, which demonstrates the necessity that Ohioans choose to be vaccinated. To date, nearly 30 percent of Ohioans have received at least one dose of vaccine.?
According to Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer at the Ohio Department of Health, variant activity continues to rise, closely mirroring what is occurring in the rest of the nation. Michigan is currently experiencing an increase in cases that is more than 3.5 times what Ohio is seeing, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this increase appears to be driven substantially by variants. Most of Ohio's rising cases numbers and variant cases are happening in the area of the state bordering Michigan.?
"Ohio remains in a race against a virus that is now more contagious and right back on our heels," said Dr. Vanderhoff. "We can win this race as long as we don?t falter; as long as we press on with consistent masking and vaccination, especially in light of this week?s important and encouraging research out of the CDC confirming that the vaccines are powerful protection against COVID-19 and its variants."
Governor DeWine announced on Thursday that as Ohio continues to receive increases in its vaccine allotment, the state will allot more doses to areas that are seeing case spikes or increases in vaccine demand.?
OHIO PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY SYSTEM
New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health shows case increases in 56 counties over the past week, however, because there are not yet significant increases in healthcare utilization at the county level, most counties stayed at the same level this week.
Level changes include:
Van Wert County moved from yellow to orange.
Auglaize, Paulding and Scioto moved from red to orange.?
Carroll, Mercer, and Morgan counties moved from orange to yellow.?
Clinton County dropped from red to yellow.
IN-DEMAND JOBS WEEK (MAY 3 ? 7)
Lt. Governor Husted, in his capacity as Director of the Governor?s Office of Workforce Transformation, also announced that In-Demand Jobs Week will officially take place May 3?through 7.
In-Demand Jobs Week is designed to promote Ohio?s most in-demand and fastest growing industries through statewide hiring, education, and training events. This year, In-Demand Jobs Week will feature all of Ohio?s top jobs, including?critical jobs,?which focus on the health and well-being of Ohioans such as child care workers, home health aides, and firefighters.
Throughout the week, businesses, education providers, community organizations, and more are encouraged to plan unique, virtual opportunities that will inspire students and job seekers to pursue a job in Ohio. From virtual tours and roundtables to virtual career-tech signing days and online job fairs, In-Demand Jobs Week is an opportunity to highlight what Ohio has to offer.
Organizations can visit?TopJobs.Ohio.gov?to add their event to the official In-Demand Jobs Week map. Individuals interested in attending an event can use this map to find events near them.
LAUNCH OF APRIL ROUND OF TECHCRED
The next round of TechCred launched on Thursday and will close on April 30?at 3:00 p.m.
Ohio businesses can visit?TechCred.Ohio.gov?to apply and help their employees earn a new tech-focused credential at no cost.
More than 1,100 Ohio businesses have used TechCred, creating the opportunity for 19,841 technology-focused credentials to be earned by Ohio employees.
In the photo above, Lt. Governor Husted tours Columbus Public Health?s mass drive-thru vaccine clinic with Dr. Mysheika Roberts and Dr. Andrew Thomas from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Throughout the week, Governor DeWine announced three appointments to fill judicial vacancies:
Stephanie M. Bishop to the Findlay Municipal Court.
Bishop, of Findlay, will assume office on April 9, 2021, and will be replacing Judge Mark C. Miller, who was elected to a different bench. Bishop will need to run for election in November 2021 for the unexpired term ending December 31, 2023.
Susan K. Steinhauer to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division.
Steinhauer, of Stow, will assume office on April 26, 2021, and will be replacing Judge Katarina Cook, who was elected to a different bench. Steinhauer will need to run for election in November 2022 for the unexpired term ending January 5, 2023.
Bertha Garcia Helmick to the Hamilton County Municipal Court.
Garcia Helmick, of Cincinnati, will assume office on April 9, 2021, and will be replacing Judge Alan C. Triggs, who was elected to a different bench. Garcia Helmick will need to run for election in November 2021 to complete the unexpired term ending January 2, 2024.
As of Friday, there have been 1,021,718 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. Additionally, 18,646 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths have occurred in the state; 18,643 were Ohio residents.?A total of 53,243 people have been hospitalized, including 7,446 admissions to intensive care units.
For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit?coronavirus.ohio.gov?or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
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