84 new confirmed virus cases in Lorain County over weekend

Lorain County Public Health reported 84 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday in the agency's first update of case data since Friday. The Ohio Department of Health also added 38 new probable cases to the county's tally over that same time period. The new cases bring the county's cumulative totals since the start of the pandemic to 18,396 confirmed cases and 4,870 probable cases. Lorain County Public Health has reported 384 confirmed deaths from the virus as of last week, and state data shows that a presumed 22,044 virus patients in the county have recovered. Nearly one-third of Lorain County residents have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with data on an online Ohio Department of Health dashboard showing Monday that 102,156 people in Lorain County (32.97 percent of the county population) have had at least one dose. Among that group, 57,601 people in Lorain County (18.59 percent of the county population) have completed their vaccine with all recommended doses. The county's vaccination rate is similar to Ohio's as a whole. Across the state, more than 3.72 million people (31.84 percent of the state population) have received at least one dose, while more than 2.18 million people (18.72 percent of the state population) have had all recommended doses. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in his coronavirus news briefing Monday that efforts began this week to try to get college students vaccinated before the end of the academic year. DeWine said similar plans are being made to give high school students the opportunity to be vaccinated as well. The only vaccine available for those under the age of 18 would be Pfizer, which has been tested on people as young as 16. High school students who are 16 and 17 would need parental permission, DeWine added. "The virus is still out there," he said. "We are seeing an increase in the number of young people having it and young people in the hospital." Ohio Department of Health Medical Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff noted that the testing positivity rate is over 4 percent, and variants that are more contagious and more deadly continue to be discovered in new cases. DeWine said optimally, the time would come that people could get vaccines without scheduling an appointment. "We don't want people standing in line," he said. "We don't want people waiting for a long, long, long time." DeWine also announced plans to consolidate the various COVID-19 health orders into one simplified, streamlined order. The consolidated order should be out no later than Tuesday. However, he reiterated that Ohioans need to continue common-sense steps: Wearing masks, maintaining social distance and limiting large gatherings.