As we close out our first week of February, there is more good and exciting news. First, the number of new cases and hospitalizations continues to decline in our community. That’s a result of the steps each and every one of us is taking. Please, keep up the good work. Continue to stay home as much as possible and when you have to be with others outside of your household, wear your mask, watch your distance, wash your hands and avoid large crowds. Speaking of crowds, we know “the big game” is usually a great opportunity to be with friends and family. We ask you to sit this one out and avoid those gatherings so we can all stay safe.
Our second piece of good news is our vaccination efforts. As everyone knows, vaccine supply is limited but that won’t stop us from helping our community. Next week, FCPH will be administering more than 4,500 doses (mostly second doses) to individuals in Phase 1A and clients of the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Moreover, thanks in partnership with Kroger Pharmacy, our local schools and the State of Ohio, more than 10,000 teachers and support staff received their first dose of the vaccine. Next week, those who are 65 years of age and older, can start making appointments with providers in our community. A list of those providers can be found on the Ohio Department of Health’s website. Finally, at Franklin County Public Health we believe in the power of partnerships and collaboration. Plans are being made with partners across the county to continue expanding our capacity to vaccinate even more of our residents. In the coming weeks, we expect more vaccine will be available and we want to assure our residents that we’ll be ready to keep up as the supply improves. We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as our community continues its response to COVID-19.
Joe Mazzola, MPA Franklin County Health Commissioner