Lorain County Updates

Lorain County reported 100 cases and five hospitalizations from May 21 to May 27, marking a decline from 179 cases the previous week. Cases have been declining in the county for over a month, which health officials attribute to a strong vaccination campaign. 

As of May 27, 48.55 percent of the county’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine. 

As of Wednesday, Lorain County remained one of 17 counties classified by the Ohio Department of Health at “Red Alert Level Three” on a public emergency scale of four for “very high exposure and spread.” On Thursday the state announced they would cancel the alert system stating that it was no longer an accurate indicator of a county’s COVID-19 status. Prior to the cancellation, Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell expected that the county would move into the “Orange” category in the coming days due to decreases in COVID-19 prevalence. 

Statewide Updates

Ohio continued to experience a decline in case numbers this week. ODH reported 2,996 new statewide cases and 252 hospitalizations. Last week, Ohio had 5,810 new cases. 

On June 2, Ohio will lift many of the public health orders implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. This includes lifting the indoor mask mandate that has been in effect since July 2020. Safety guidelines will remain in effect for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The change comes after the CDC released new guidelines stating that vaccinated individuals no longer have to wear masks outside or indoors. 

In addition to removing the mask mandate, Ohio also held its first vaccine lottery this week. Each week for five weeks one vaccinated adult and child will be chosen at random to receive either a $1 million prize or a free college education. On Wednesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine attributed the lottery to a 45 percent increase in vaccination rates among Ohio residents.

As of April 29, roughly 44.9 percent of Ohio residents had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. To learn more about vaccinations and sign up for an appointment, residents can use Ohio’s vaccination tool.  

More information on COVID-19 in Ohio is available through the ODH and LCPH websites, where case numbers are updated every weekday at 2 p.m.

Oberlin College Updates

Last week Oberlin announced several changes to ObieSafe policy including lifting mask requirements for vaccinated students, ending monthly testing, and removing limits on indoor capacity. The College’s mask requirements were relaxed on May 17, while other ObieSafe changes will go into effect on June 2 in compliance with state restrictions.

Currently, the College is at an 81 percent vaccination rate, or 1,444 approved vaccine cards. Administrators had previously promised to re-evaluate safety procedures upon hitting an 80 percent vaccination rate. If a student was recently vaccinated or has not yet reported their status to the College, they can submit their vaccine documentation to the Student Health Portal. Faculty and staff should submit their documentation to the Department of Human Resources.