CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is our regular roundup of coronavirus facts, figures and numbers regarding Cleveland, Ohio, the United States and the world March 6-12, followed by our quotes of the week:
March 6
Ohio reports 1,506 coronavirus cases. The state no longer is listing daily death totals from the virus.
March 7
Cases go up 735 for a total of 978,471. … More than 58.8 million Americans have received at least one dose of a vaccine, CNN says, and more than 30 million have received two doses. That’s 9.2% of the population. … NBA players Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons (above photo, top left) are ruled out of today’s All-Star Game after having contact with a barber who tested positive. … Brazil’s health ministry records 80,508 new cases, the country’s largest daily increase in infections since Jan. 7.
March 8
Ohio Department of Health reports another 1,254 cases, bringing the pandemic’s total to 979,725. The number of deaths of Ohioans from Covid remains at 17,502 – the same number since Friday. … Cleveland reports 27 new confirmed cases and no deaths. … Beginning Thursday, coronavirus vaccine eligibility will open for Ohioans 50 and older, as well as for people with Type 2 diabetes and end-stage renal disease. … Another casualty: The Union Home Mortgage Cleveland Marathon and related events have been postponed from May until an undetermined fall date. … Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says a memory grove will be planted in a state park to honor those who have died from coronavirus. … Federal health officials say fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without masks or social distancing. The CDC recommendations also say vaccinated people can come together in the same way – in a single household – with people considered at low-risk for severe disease, like vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy kids.
March 9
Ohio adds 1,893 cases, for a total of 981,618, with 99 more people reported hospitalized, taking that number to 929. … Today marks the anniversary of the confirmation of the first three cases of coronavirus in Ohio. It also is a year since DeWine created a state of emergency because of the outbreak, which brought about dozens of public health orders. … The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Ohio has 61 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus, up from 33 Sunday. Officials expect the variant to become the dominant strain in Ohio by April. … Brazil’s health ministry reports 1,972 deaths and 70,764 new cases, stretching its hospital system. The nation has the second-highest number of deaths (268,370) from coronavirus after the United States, says CNN, citing Johns Hopkins University data.
March 10
The number of newly reported cases increases by 1,868, bringing the total to 983,486. The number of Ohioans who have died with Covid remains at 17,662. … Cleveland reaches 400 coronavirus deaths with two new fatalities and records 44 new cases. … Eligible Ohioans can sign up for the coronavirus mass vaccination clinic in Cleveland starting today. The clinic begins Wednesday, March 17, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center. … The Cleveland Clinic has opened a weekly vaccination site at the Cleveland Clinic Langston Hughes Health and Education Center in the city’s Fairfax neighborhood. … Legislation to restrict DeWine’s ability to issue health orders clears the Ohio General Assembly, putting the Republican-controlled legislature and Republican governor in another showdown. … Congress OKs the landmark $1.9 trillion Covid-relief bill. … President Biden says he is directing the Department of Health and Human Services to buy an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. … Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says almost one in 10 Americans – more than 32 million people – are fully vaccinated.
March 11
Ohio records 1,448 new cases, raising the state’s cumulative total to nearly 985,000. … Ohio reports 949 new cases for students and 240 for staff in schools for the week of March 1. … DeWine says he expects county fairs to make a comeback this year after many were canceled in 2020. The only big requirement is limiting grandstand capacity to 30% and requiring social distancing. The governor says he also is asking fairs to require mask wearing. … More than 17,000 Ohioans sign up on the first day of registration for the mass vaccination site at the Wolstein Center. It opens Wednesday, March 17. … The number of coronavirus cases involving Ohio nursing-home patients drops to 614 this week, down more than 2,100 in the past two months. The state records 177 deaths. … Biden speaks in a nationally televised address on the one-year anniversary of initial shutdowns as a result of coronavirus, saying all American adults should be able to sign up for a vaccine shot by Saturday, May 1.
March 12
The pandemic threatens to upend college basketball days before the NCAA tournament field will be announced. One day after Duke pulled out of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament – ending its season because of a positive test – No. 16 Virginia calls off its ACC tourney semifinal and No. 11 Kansas does the same thing in the Big 12 tournament for the same reason. Both schools must hope contact tracing and protocols allow them to remain in consideration for the NCAA tournament.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted
Quotes of the week
• “Look, it’s time to go back and serve these children. They need you.” – Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted on “Fox and Friends.” He criticized the Cleveland Teachers Union for refusing to resume in-person learning in March after accepting vaccines from the state. Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association, said Husted appeared to be trying to “score cheap political points” by talking about the situation in Cleveland on national TV.
• “We’re not done yet, Covid isn’t done with us. The variants are still a risk. You don’t declare victory in the third quarter.” – Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to CNN.
• “March and April are going to be pivotal times.” – Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urging continued vigilance with health-safety protocols like proper mask wearing and social distancing safety.
• “There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of this past year, but we cannot let our guard down now or assume victory is inevitable. Together we’re going to get through this pandemic and usher in a healthier and more hopeful future.” – President Biden.
We compile our coronavirus timeline from cleveland.com stories and wire reports. Each Saturday morning, we recap news and stats regarding the virus. Here is the previous coronavirus recap Feb. 27-March 5.
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler. Twitter: @mbona30.