Huron County COVID-19 update

NORWALK — There were 105 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Huron County from March 19 to March 25. As of Thursday, Huron County had the third-highest occurrence rate in Ohio for COVID-19. Huron County had a higher occurrence rate of COVID-19 than that of the largest cities in Ohio such as Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Huron County remains an Alert Level Red on the Ohio Department of Health's Ohio Public Health Advisory System. Huron County Public Health (HCPH) encourages all eligible individuals to call and schedule their COVID-19 vaccination appointment. HCPH urges all residents to assess their own individual risk for illness before leaving their homes, exercise a high degree of caution when in public and continue to follow all current health orders. For the week of March 19-25, Norwalk had the highest incidences of COVID-19, with 26 new cases. New London followed with 25 positive cases and Willard third, with 16 new positive cases of COVID-19. Beginning Monday, eligibility for vaccination will open for Ohioans aged 16 years and older. HCPH is continuing to vaccinate all eligible individuals and asks for patience as a surge in interest is expected. As of March 25, 6,904 Huron County residents have been vaccinated completely and 5,689 have received their first vaccine in the series. Pfizer is the only vaccine currently authorized for those 16 and 17 years of age. Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) are currently only authorized for ages 18 years and up. Currently authorized Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines require two shots to get the most protection, which is given either 21 or 28 days apart, while the newly released Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires a single-dose shot and is included in the 'Total Vaccinated' category.