Ohio Governor DeWine has declared March 9, 2021 a Day of Remembrance in Honor of more than 17,500 Ohioans who have died from COVID-19.

“March 9, 2021, marks the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed coronavirus cases in Ohio,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

“Since then, more than 979,000 people have tested positive in the state.”

At the peak of the pandemic in March 2020, Governor Mike DeWine ordered a stay at home for all Ohioans beginning midnight of Monday, March 23, 2020 to April 6, 2020, following the advice of the then State Health Director, Dr Amy Acton to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Other states have referred to it as shelter in place, but we prefer to call it stay at home. Either one is the same thing,” said Governor Mike DeWine.

Some of the essential services that were not affected by the shutdown included: Grocery stores, Gas stations, Pharmacies, Police stations, Fire stations, Hospitals, clinics and healthcare operations, Garbage/sanitation, Public transportation, and Public benefits (i.e. SNAP, Medicaid) hotlines

Meanwhile, in continuation of his visits to vaccination sites in the state, Governor Mike DeWine Tuesday, March 9 visited the Ohio State Schottenstein Center vaccination site.

“We are grateful to the healthcare workers there and other volunteers who are vaccinating Ohioans.”

Governor DeWine said, “since it takes time for the vaccine to provide protection, it is possible that a person could be infected with the coronavirus just before, or just after, getting the vaccination — but you can’t get COVID from the vaccine itself.”