Keep up with regular news updates regarding Columbus and Ohio’s response to COVID-19 here.
The Numbers
COVID-19 cases — In Columbus, 198 cases of COVID-19 were reported as of Wednesday, April 14. As of Thursday, April 15, 86,500 total cases and 1,032 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Columbus and Worthington.
In Franklin County at large, 283 cases were reported as of Wednesday.
Countywide, 130,007 total cases and 1,552 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported by Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health.
In Ohio, 2,164 cases were reported on Thursday.
Statewide, 1,048,109 total cases and 18,917 deaths have been confirmed or are probable since the start of the pandemic, as reported by the Ohio Department of Health. 989,861 Ohioans have been presumed recovered.
According to the Ohio Vaccination Dashboard, 4,254,389 Ohioans (36.40% of the total population) have been administered at least one dose of the vaccine. 479,009 Franklin County residents (36.38% of the county population) have received at least one valid dose.
Those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine can book an appointment here or call 1-833-427-5634 for help with scheduling.
More Updates
Franklin County Returns to Level 4 Health Advisory — The state announced during a Thursday press conference that Franklin County had moved to a Level 4 Health Advisory, due to a sustained increase in COVID-related emergency room visits, outpatient visits and hospital admissions. Currently, Franklin County is the only county at that advisory level.
The City of Columbus held its own press conference today discussing the change in advisory status. Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said the state’s system follows day-to-day changes by percentages, not total volume.
She said that the Level 4 or “purple” advisory did not mean businesses or schools needed to close or go back to remote learning. She also said CPH would not be recommending a stay-at-home order.
“We know so much more today…than we knew five months ago, which was the last time we went purple,” she said.
Dr. Rustin Morse, chief medical officer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, also noted they are not seeing more children being hospitalized with COVID-19.
Dr. Roberts said the city is attributing the rise in new cases to Spring Break travel of Columbus residents. The largest increase in cases is for residents between the ages of 20 and 49 years of age, she said.
Other health professionals noted the decrease in the average age of residents hospitalized — from 68 down to 62 years of age — due to the early vaccination of older Ohioans, and the need to stay vigilant, keep wearing masks and continue to avoid mass gatherings.
Pause of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine — Following a pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine statewide, mass vaccination clinics, as well as college and university clinics that planned to offer the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, are proceeding with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. This includes Columbus Public Health’s mass vaccination clinic at the State Fairgrounds as well as the university clinic at OSU.
The majority of the state’s Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses went to mass vaccination clinics and college/university clinics.
264,311 Johnson & Johnson vaccines have already been administered in Ohio.
For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.