Here are some of the topics we will cover on this week’s Reporter’s Roundtable
Ohio’s statewide overnight curfew has expired. Case numbers of COVID-19 and hospitalizations due to the illness have been declining since the latest spike began around Thanksgiving. Governor DeWine had been shortening the hours of the curfew as numbers of COVID-19 continued their decline. This week, the numbers reached the point for the state to shelve the curfew entirely.
The state is also working to reconcile the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19. The Ohio Department of Health reported on Wednesday that as many as 4,000 deaths have been under reported.
Hopes for ending the pandemic hinge on getting enough people vaccinated. Ohio began receiving the first doses of the vaccine in December. But there has been criticism about the rollout of the vaccine and the number of doses being delivered to the state. Ohio, however, says it will go ahead with opening vaccine eligibility next week for people who have certain high-risk medical conditions.
Getting Ohio students back into the classroom has become an "urgent necessity" says Governor DeWine. Earlier this week, DeWine said the teachers and staff at 1,300 districts would be vaccinated by the end of this week.The governor also wants districts to work on plans to address the "lost learning" time due to the pandemic. He has given districts until April 1 to deliver their plans.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, David DeVillers, announced this week he will resign at the end of February. His announcement Tuesday came hours after a call with federal officials who requested his resignation and that of other Trump appointees.
Scammers continue to bombard Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services with bogus unemployment assistance claims. ODJFS says it received 140,000 new claims last week and nearly 45,000 have been flagged for review. That number could rise as more claims are reviewed.
Ohio Senator Rob Portman's announcement that he will not seek re-election has opened the door for many hopefuls seeking the chance to replace him. A number of candidates are expected to vie for the position, but this week saw the first officially announced campaign. It comes from a name familiar to Ohio voters: Former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.
Nick Castele, Reporter, Ideastream
Marlene Harris-Taylor, Managing Producer for Health, Ideastream
Andy Chow, Reporter, Statehouse News Bureau, Ohio Public Radio/TV
