CLEVELAND — Gov. Mike DeWine is facing no shortage of challenges as we begin a new year in Ohio.
Chief among the 74-year-old's tasks is helping to turn the tide of COVID-19 in the state, which includes making sure its vaccination plan goes smoothly.
On Wednesday, DeWine will sit for a one-on-one interview with 3News' Maureen Kyle. You will be able to view the interview during What's New at 5:00 p.m., What Matters Most at 6:00 p.m., and What's Next at 11:00 p.m. You can also see the interview at WKYC.com and the WKYC app.
While the state is starting to receive vaccines for COVID-19, distributing them has been a problem. During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tappe on Sunday, DeWine admitted that while Ohio has received 529,000 coronavirus vaccines, it has only given out more than 160,000 so far.
On Tuesday, DeWine announced that the vaccination of those in Phase 1B -- which includes adults 65 years or older, those with developmental disorders including Sickle Cell or down syndrome and all teachers and staff at K-12 schools planning to reopen for in-person learning -- will begin in approximately two weeks.
DeWine has also made headlines by signing the "stand your ground" bill, making Ohio the 36th state to no longer require people to retreat before they can justifiably hurt or kill someone with a gun in self-defense. Reaction has been polarizing with some praising his decision while others are condemning the legislation.
"I made a commitment when I ran for governor that I would sign a bill like that," DeWine said on Tuesday when he was asked why he signed the bill. "It puts us with the majority of states, not the minority of states that have something very similar to that."
More coverage:
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine won't issue variance to keep bars open for Browns' playoff game, College Football Championship Game
- COVID-19 variant will soon arrive in Ohio according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine: Phase 1B of COVID-19 vaccinations, including people 65 and older and school staff, should start in 2 weeks
- 'I made a commitment': Gov. Mike DeWine explains why he signed 'Stand Your Ground' bill
You can watch Gov. DeWine's Tuesday briefing in the player below:
