COVID

Health officials say Ohioans need to take action now to protect themselves against COVID-19, flu and RSV.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff says COVID-19 rates have increased in recent weeks, but they are increasing from historically low levels.

Federal COVID-19 policies are changing, but some of Ohio’s practices for handling the pandemic will remain in place indefinitely.

Much of the money in the legislature’s $6 billion spending bill comes from federal COVID-19 relief funding.

Doctors say new variants of COVID-19 Omicron are taking hold in other countries now and could cause a wave of COVID-19 this winter, just in time for Thanksgiving and December holidays.

But while most numbers are trending upward, the number of deaths is going down.

Former Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley says pandemic funds can be used for that purpose

They say this variant, which has been prevalent in Europe, could make its way to Ohio soon. But they caution Ohioans to prepare instead of worrying.

It is not just due to the fact that COVID cases are declining.

Daily reporting will give way to weekly reporting. And reporting by schools will be changed too.