Athens County reported 33 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, bringing the total case count to 4,664. Currently, 202 cases are considered active as the county remains in the level 3 red zone.
Athens reported 16 additional COVID-19 deaths due to changes in Ohio’s COVID-19 mortality reporting system. The change comes after the previous reporting system failed to count more than 4,000 coronavirus fatalities.
The Ohio Department of Health will now rely exclusively on death certificate reporting to amass COVID-19 death information. Because it can take up to two weeks for death certificates to be filed, the new reporting method is expected to be slower, but produce more accurate data. The death count for Athens County currently stands at 49.
There have been no new hospitalizations in the past week due to COVID-19. Athens ICU beds currently stand at 65.15% capacity, with 12.12% occupied by COVID-19 patients.
According to the Athens City-County Health Department, 4,071 Athens residents have received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine, while 3,114 are fully vaccinated. There are currently 12 vaccination sites in Athens County.
The single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine was first administered in Ohio this past week, after the state received a shipment of 96,100 shots of the newly approved vaccine. The J&J vaccine has a 66% efficacy, lower than the Moderna and Pfiezer vaccines, however, it does not have to be stored at extremely low temperatures and is administered in just one shot.
Ohio vaccination phase 1C and phase 2 went into effect March 4, making almost 1 million additional Ohioans eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The new groups include individuals with additional health conditions that were not previously eligible, citizens working in childcare services, funeral services, law enforcement and Ohioans ages 60 and older.
Ohio University’s The Drugstore at O’Bleness now has COVID-19 vaccines available for all currently eligible groups in Ohio. To determine eligibility or to schedule an appointment, contact the drugstore at 740-566-4690.
Ohio University reported a lower number of COVID-19 cases among students this past week, with a 0.3% average seven day positivity rate. Nearly all of the 29 residence halls are at the lowest alert level with 0% seven day positivity rates. Only Carr Hall was reported to be in the second, or orange, alert level, reporting a 0.6% seven-day positivity rate.
University quarantine and isolation housings are currently at 1.16% and 3.78% capacities, respectively.
