5 things to know about the coronavirus today: Second round of vaccination begins

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

It is Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, and these are five things to know about the coronavirus today.

Ohio starts second round of vaccinations

On Tuesday, Ohio kicked off its second round of coronavirus vaccinations, giving vaccines to Ohioans 80 and older at clinics across the state. Next Monday, more people will become eligible to be vaccinated as part of Phase 1B of Ohio’s vaccination plan.

US virus death toll tops 400,000

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus passed 400,000 on Tuesday, according to a running total by Johns Hopkins University. This milestone was reached in just under a year, since the first known deaths from the virus in the U.S. were in early February 2020 in California.

Ohioans with disabilities, medical disorders eligible for vaccines next week

Ohioans with severe medical disorders, as well as those with developmental or intellectual disabilities will be eligible to receive vaccines beginning next week. Also starting next week, Ohioans 75 and older will be eligible.

Ohio works on plans to vaccinate school staff

The Ohio Department of Health and Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration are working on a plan to vaccinate school staff. DeWine said that as of Tuesday, 96% of the state’s public schools are committed to returning hybrid and full in-person education by March.

Ohio reported 2021′s lowest case number Monday

Ohio reported 4,312 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the lowest number of daily cases so far in 2021. It is also the first time that Ohio recorded fewer than 5,000 new cases in a day in the 21 days prior. As of Monday, Ohio had reported an average of 7,430 cases per day over the previous three weeks.

About the Author