Brown County is out of the red.
For the first time since last Fall, Brown County has a COVID-19 case rate below 100 out of 100,000 people.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there were 25 new COVID cases reported locally between March 10 and march 23. Currently in Brown County, 16 people are recovering at home from COVID-19 exposure and two are in the hospital.
61 total cases have been reported so far in March.
The infection rate for Brown County is now 57.6 out of 100,000. That is the fourth lowest in the state. Brown County had the highest infection rate in the state for three weeks last February.
COVID cases in Brown County are down 92 percent from January and 75 percent from February.
There are still 55 counties in Ohio that are in red status, or with an infection rate above 100 out of 100,000 people. 23 counties are in orange status and two are in yellow, which means an infection rate below 50 out of 100,000.
Statewide, the infection rate is up slightly from last week at 146.9 out of 100,000 people. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has stated that all health orders will be ended once Ohio drops below 50 out of 100,000 people for two weeks in a row.
In other COVID-19 news, Brown County residents now have a new way to schedule a vaccination.
A central appointment hotline has been set up by the Ohio Department of Health at (614) 881-1882.
Residents who call can make an appointment for a time and location that fits into their schedule.
The hotline is open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday. Vaccinations will be given locally in Brown County.
Also last week, the Ohio House and Senate today voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s recent veto of Senate Bill 22, which would give the General Assembly the power to rescind any of the governor’s or health department’s health orders.
Now that the bill has passed, beginning in 90 days the legislature can vote to immediately rescind any of the governor’s health orders and prevent him from reissuing them for 60 days. Any emergency declarations would be limited to 90 days unless the general assembly voted to extend the declaration.
The override passed the Senate with a 23-10 vote and in the House with a 62-35 vote. No Democrats voted for the override in either chamber, but two Republicans in the Senate and one in the House joined opposing Democrats.
The bill would also prevent local health departments from quarantining or isolating individuals who are not sick or have not been exposed to an illness. DeWine drew issue to this provision in his Tuesday night veto message.
“Senate Bill 22 jeopardizes the safety of every Ohioan,” DeWine said. “It goes well beyond the issues that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. SB 22 strikes at the heart of local health departments’ ability to move quickly to protect the public from the most serious emergencies Ohio could face.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the bill, like sponsor Sen. Rob McColley, argued that the bill restores checks and balances to the state government and gives the legislative branch much-needed oversight on the governor’s orders.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for us to stand up for the legislative branch,” McColley said. “It’s time for us to reassert ourselves as a separate and co-equal branch of government, here in the state of Ohio.”
A new legislative committee dedicated to overseeing state health orders would be established as a part of this bill. This committee would advise both the governor and the legislature on health orders.
Also included in the bill is a provision that allows Ohioans to sue the state government for damages related to health orders, and it requires the state to pay for attorney fees and court costs of any person who successfully challenges an order in court. Ohioans can now start these civil suits in their home counties and do not have to travel to Columbus, where the state government resides.
SB 22 will likely face court challenges in the coming months after the Ohio Legislative Services Commission found in February that the bill is possibly unconstitutional.
Champion Media Content Partner WCPO-TV contributed to this article.
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