784,957 cases in Ohio; 300,398 in Kentucky; 567,338 in Indiana

The COVID-19 outbreak is continuing to change everyday life for millions of Americans. Leaders across the county, including the Tri-State area, are providing daily updates on confirmed cases, deaths and measures taking to curb the spread of the virus. Here, you can get the latest information on the coronavirus in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana as well as resources to be prepared and keep your family safe.LATEST CASE NUMBERS: Ohio, 784,957, 9,702 deaths | Kentucky, 300,398, 2,876 deaths | Indiana, 567,338, 8,643 deathsEducational resources: CLICK HERE to access online learning resourcesCORONAVIRUS IN OHIOPlanning for the vaccination of older residents is underway at the Hamilton County Health Department.There are a lot of them.What there is not a lot of is vaccine.Whatever the layout of the county's plan turns out to be, it won't be meeting the desired need of everyone who wants to get immunized against COVID-19.With somewhere in the vicinity of 128,000 people who are 80 and older in Hamilton County, the initial shots won't cover very many in that group.The state's coronavirus vaccination rate is about 1.5% right now.It's obvious the whole rollout needs a shot in the arm as much as 11 million Ohioans do.In a Zoom interview this morning, the governor expressed frustration about the lack of availability."And Ohio's not getting rained on," Gov. Mike DeWine said. "I mean, we're getting 'em like other states are. There's just not enough vaccine at this point."DeWine told us whatever amount there is, no matter how relatively minuscule, he wants no lag time.His goal is to achieve arrival and injection within 24 hours.Next week, those who are at least 80 years old will start getting information via media about where and when their vaccination would occur.With up to 450,000 people in that category statewide, there will be no need for a mass rush.Doses are arriving in dribbles."So, until that ramps up, I think that, I imagine they'd all set up some kind of registration and appointment system," Nick Crossley said.He is the director of Hamilton County's Emergency Management Agency."People who are not in, can't get it from another provider, would then go to the public health."Crossley is coordinating with various health departments within his jurisdiction to have locations identified and as much ready as possible."And you'll see our messaging going out, telling people what to do over (to social media app) Nextdoor, over our social media. We have an alert set up, an alert Hamilton County people can sign up for."Some vaccinations will be scheduled and some will probably be drive-up, wait and take your chances.By mid-week, the state expects to have a better idea if nursing home compliance has grown or stayed flat because the second of three visits started Friday."People are being given a second chance to get that first vaccine," DeWine told us."And there will not be another chance. So, we're just urging them, at least there won't be another chance for some time, so we're urging them when they come through this time, you know, please, please get that vaccine. You are in a group that is eligible."DeWine rejects pessimism despite the lack of a surge in vaccine delivery.He described 2021 as the year of recovery for Ohio."I think we're positioned well. We've not been overrun by this virus. We've been hit very hard. We're in a great surge right now."There were 55 more deaths within the past day, according to the Ohio Department of Health. There were 8,374 new cases announced Saturday.DeWine said Ohio continues to battle and must not flag.The one certainty at the moment is that there is not nearly enough product to satisfy demand.While DeWine expects that to change at some point in the months ahead, he is busy doing what he can with what he has."What we can do is focus every day on how much we're getting this vaccine out."He's big on making sure there's no lag time.Teachers, school staff and older people are on deck.Together, they comprise three-quarters of a million people.The state estimated it would get 100,000 doses per week for the next several weeks.DeWine believes we've grown numb to the escalating numbers.But he remained confident about a breakthrough."I think that this is the year when we're gonna put the virus down," he said.CORONAVIRUS IN KENTUCKYKentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is warning that people gathering at the holidays has contributed to a "real and significant" increase in COVID-19 cases in the state.The state saw its highest number of COVID-19 cases ever since the pandemic began on Wednesday, at 5,742 cases. Then on Thursday, Kentucky reported its second-highest daily total since the coronavirus pandemic began with 4,911 new cases.The positivity rate, which reflects the rate of testing that shows a positive result, climbed to 11.9%, the highest since May 5.On Friday, Beshear announced there were 4,750 new cases and 13 new deaths. The positivity rate remained at 11.9%. Within three days, the governor reported a total of 15,403 new COVID-19 cases.Kenton County was among the top counties in Kentucky with the most positive cases Friday.“We are at a really tough point once again in our war against COVID-19. We have successfully stopped three waves of this virus, but we are now seeing a real and significant increase in cases and our positivity rate from people’s gatherings around the holidays,” Beshear said. “I wish it hadn’t happened. We’ve got to make sure that moving forward we are not gathering in that way, and we’ve got to know that we wear a mask now to protect ourselves.According to the White House Federal Report for Kentucky, the state’s fall and winter surge has been at “nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and summer surges.”Right now in Kentucky, there are currently 1,748 people hospitalized with COVID-19.“You need to be wearing a mask anywhere outside of your own household. It’s gotten that bad and these mutated versions appear to be spreading really fast," Beshear said.CORONAVIRUS IN INDIANAThe Indiana Department of Health announced Monday that a new strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been identified in Indiana.The strain, which was identified through testing at the Department of Health laboratory and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the same one identified in the United Kingdom last fall. Health officials said the strain does not cause more severe infections, but it is much more easily spread.“It’s common for viruses to mutate, and we are seeing that occur with COVID-19,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Because this strain of the virus can be transmitted more easily, it’s more important than ever that Hoosiers continue to wear their masks, practice social distancing, maintain good hygiene and get vaccinated when they are eligible.” To date, 567,338 Indiana residents are known to have had the novel coronavirus, an increase of 3,726 from Sunday. Of those, 8,643 are confirmed to have died, an increase of 30 from the previous day. Another 373 probable deaths have been reported based on clinical diagnoses in patients for whom no positive test is on record. Deaths are reported based on when data are received by the state and occurred over multiple days.To date, 2,762,573 unique individuals have been tested in Indiana, up from 2,752,524 on Sunday. A total of 6,140,884 tests, including repeat tests for unique individuals, have been reported to the state Department of Health since Feb. 26.Hoosiers age 80 and older, along with health care workers and first responders, are now eligible to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine. To find an appointment, go to https://ourshot.in.gov.Nearly 194,000 Hoosiers have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 24,000 have received both doses and are fully vaccinated.Symptoms:According to the CDC, the following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure: Fever, cough and shortness of breath.Emergency warning signs include:Difficulty breathing or shortness of breathPersistent pain or pressure in the chestNew confusion or inability to arouseBluish lips or face*This list is not all inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.This chart from Prospect Pediatrics compares COVID-19 symptoms to the cold and flu:Resources: - Ohio coronavirus hotline: 833-427-5634- Kentucky coronavirus hotline: (800) 722-5725- Indiana general questions can be directed to the ISDH Epidemiology Resource Center at 317-233-7125 (317-233-1325 after hours) or e-mail [email protected] for Disease Control and Prevention websiteWhat to do if you think you have it:Officials have urged people to be conscious not to overwhelm the health care system. This graphic will help you decide when it is time to see a physician. Helpful tips and guides: → Here's what you should do if you already have the coronavirus → Dealing with stress, anxiety during coronavirus outbreak→ These viral social media coronavirus posts are FALSE→ How long should you wash your hands to avoid the coronavirus?→ Guidance for self isolation and home quarantine→ How to clean your car for coronavirus→ A guide to keeping your child safe and reassured as coronavirus spreads→ This map tracks the coronavirus in real time→ How to work from home without losing your sanity