COLUMBUS, Ohio — With the first case of the omicron variant now confirmed in the United States, the Ohio Department of Health held a press conference on Thursday to provide an update on the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can rewatch the press conference in the video player above.
The press conference came as Ohio has reported a recent increase in cases. Wednesday’s data showed nearly 9,000 new infections, marking the highest one-day total in nearly three months.
The press conference was hosted by Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff. He was joined by the following medical experts during the press conference:
- Andy Thomas, MD, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Chief Clinical Officer
- Steven Gordon, MD, Chair, Cleveland Clinic Department of Infectious Disease
- Carri Warshak, MD, Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, UC College of Medicine
“If you haven’t chosen to be vaccinated yet, please remember that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and under constant, rigorous and ongoing safety review,” Dr. Vanderhoff said during his previous press conference back on Nov. 23.
Ohio is currently reporting that 57.93 percent of the state’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Those considered fully vaccinated has now hit 52.94 percent.
President Biden, meanwhile, is shared his winter plan for battling COVID-19, which includes an urgent campaign for vaccinations and boosters. His plan also “includes a requirement for private insurers to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests and a tightening of testing requirements for people entering the U.S. regardless of their vaccination status,” according to the Associated Press.
