Ohio Department of Health
New guidance for schools on COVID-19 won’t include mask mandate
The Ohio Department of Health said new COVID-19 guidance for schools as they plan for a new school year will include safety recommendations, but no mandate for mask-wearing, even for the unvaccinated. In a press call on Monday, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer for the ODH, said guidelines would be released on the state’s […]
Latest increase in cases, hospitalizations has Ohio health officials pushing vaccines
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff acknowledges that as the public face of the Ohio Department of Health he is repeating himself a lot these days. But the message is important enough to continue repeating in simple terms, ODH’s chief medical officer said Wednesday. “It really comes down to, are you vaccinated and safe or are you unvaccinated […]
States follow Ohio’s lead in announcing their own vaccine lotteries
What some Ohio lawmakers saw as a wasteful gameshow gimmick, other governors saw as an opportunity. It took only a few weeks after Gov. Mike DeWine announced the Vax-A-Million for other states to introduce their own vaccine lottery programs. There are cash prizes in Oregon, music festival tickets awarded in Delaware and even custom rifles […]
History Thursday: 1955 rollout of polio vaccine resembles COVID-19 era
The thousands of “Polio Pioneers” in Ohio, one official said, were short in stature but giants went it came to being medical trailblazers. These were children in Richland and Montgomery counties who participated in a polio vaccine trial in 1954, with a nation desperate for a breakthrough against a disease that killed thousands and left […]
Dental care remains neglected in state, nation
One of the leading health care needs in the state of Ohio is one that’s most neglected, especially when it comes to low-income communities. As dental director at the Cincinnati Health Department and as part of the CincySmiles dental clinic program, Dr. Larry Hill’s major task was making sure low-income and high risk populations had […]
Some city health depts. in Ohio may be forced to merge with counties
Municipal health districts in some Ohio cities may be forced to merge with their county’s health departments within the next few years to save money and consolidate resources. Officials in several of the small- and medium-sized cities that may be affected are critical of the state meddling with their local affairs. All 88 counties in […]
Bill would let Ohio health orders expire without legislative approval
In about two months, Ohio lawmakers will gain the power to strike down public health orders they disagree with through a majority vote. Some Republican legislators are continuing to seek other ways to curtail the authority of the state health department. A new bill proposes to let health orders expire without lawmakers having to necessarily […]
Details emerge on proposed bill to restrict ‘vaccine passports’ in Ohio
Republican-sponsored legislation will seek to prohibit the Ohio government from instituting a “vaccine passport” program, but the drafted proposal does not appear to restrict private businesses from doing so. Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, is soon introducing this bill in the Ohio House of Representatives. It has already received support from fellow Republican lawmakers. The term […]
Judge blocks Ohio’s abortion disposal law
A Hamilton County judge has blocked an Ohio law regulating disposal of surgical abortion tissue that was set to take effect Tuesday. Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Alison Hatheway granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday pausing the enactment of the law temporarily. The judge said because the state has not created forms, rules and regulations […]
Planned Parenthood sues Ohio over telemedicine abortion law
The national and state chapters of Planned Parenthood sued the state of Ohio Thursday over a law set to go into effect in mid-April that prohibits abortion services conducted through telemedicine. The lawsuit regards Senate Bill 260, signed into law in January and banning an available telehealth option for what’s called a medication abortion. In […]
DeWine vetoes bill targeting his pandemic authority; override awaits
Gov. Mike DeWine has vetoed a bill seeking to allow lawmakers to rescind public health orders they disagree with, once again fulfilling a pledge to block any legislation targeting his administration’s authority to respond aggressively to a deadly pandemic. The ball is now in the legislature’s court to override his veto. Republican legislative leaders have […]
Should Ohio businesses have their COVID-19 health violations expunged?
Last spring, a Tiffin bar was caught serving alcohol for on-site consumption when Ohio bars were supposed to be closed. In the fall, a Parma Heights bar was cited for serving alcohol past 10 p.m. in violation of the pandemic curfew. Two weeks later, it was cited again. On Sunday, an Athens bar was cited […]