CINCINNATI — As more Ohioans become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine starting Friday, Gov. Mike DeWine hosted a 2 p.m. press conference Thursday to discuss the state's progress and next steps.
Here's what Gov. DeWine discussed:
ELECTION DATE FOR FUDGE REPLACMENT
DeWine announced that the special election for Ohio's 11th Congressional District will be held on November 2, 2021. The primary election will take place on August 3, 2021. The candidates will be vying to replace Marcia Fudge, who is now the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development in the Biden Administration.
DAILY DATA
How much closer is Ohio to reaching the goal of 50 cases per 100,000 people? That's the current goal Gov. DeWine has established for lifting all COVID-19 health orders. While Ohio has yet to reach that threshold, it continues to trend in the right direction.
During a press briefing held at Xavier University to address the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, DeWine announced that Ohio has averaged 143.8 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents for the past two weeks. While that figure may be nearly three times larger than the one Ohio is trying to reach, DeWine noted that it shows significant improvement for the Buckeye State, which was averaging 700 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents not too long ago.
MASS VACCINATION PROGRESS
The Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland opened as the state's first mass vaccination site Wednesday morning with a goal of vaccinating 6,000 people per day for the next several weeks. After giving out 1,500 doses during Tuesday's soft opening, DeWine announced that 3,000 people received vaccines on Wednsday when the site officially opened. It was expected that 4,500 people would be vaccinated by the end of Thursday.
If you're looking for an appointment at the Wolstein Center, CLICK HERE for guidance on what you need to do.
NFL DRAFT IN CLEVELAND UPDATE
With the 2021 NFL Draft nearly a month away, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he's working with the Browns on protocols for the event, which will be held in Cleveland.
"We've been working with the Browns. I talked to (team co-owner) Jimmy Haslam over the weekend about this," DeWine said during a press briefing at Xavier University on Thursday. "He texted me either yesterday or the day before and said, 'OK, who do I work with on your team?' And I gave him my Chief of Staff and our health director. I said, 'Here's the phone number. You guys should be talking directly.'
"We're very much aware of it. We're very much aware of the date. We know the importance of this event is looked forward to by fans from all over the country and every team, so we're working closely with them."
WALK-UP VACCINATION PILOT PROGRAM IN CLEVELAND
To help solve the ongoing issue of barriers preventing Ohio residents from scheduling an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, DeWine let it slip that the state will be conducting a walk-up vaccine test program in Cleveland.
DeWine did not say precisely where or when the control group program would take place.
"I've always felt that at some point that we will have the opportunity to have mobile clinics in neighborhoods where people will literally be able to walk up and get vaccinated. It poses a challenge for the second dose and we'll have to figure it out," the governor added, noting that the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine might be a possibility in such cases. "No matter what the registration is, no matter how easy or hard is, it still poses a barrier to some people because of whatever their situation in life happens to be."
You can watch Thursday's briefing in the player below: