GOLF MANOR (2/22/2021) — Submitted by Mayor Stefan Densmore

COVID Update: I’ve included COVID data in my report in agreement with the Ohio Association of Mayors that we do whatever we can to convey the most accurate local information about COVID-19 to the public. [Data included in this portion of the report is provided by the Hamilton County Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency Emergency Operations Center].  

1. Patient & Vaccine Numbers: 
   • There are approximately 340 patients in SW Ohio regional hospitals per day, this is down 100 from last week and down from nearly 800 in December/January.
   • There are approximately 115 ICU patients per day, down from 200 in December/January.
   • There are currently 64 providers in Hamilton County providing vaccine, which is up by 27 from last week. 
   • Vaccine shipments in Ohio have been delayed the past two weeks due to severe weather. Individuals that are scheduled for vaccine appointments are encouraged to contact the provider to confirm the status of their appointment.
   • Statewide only 5% of those vaccinated are African American. Within Hamilton County this number is 11%, however this does not reflect countywide demographics where African Americans make up approximately 25% of the population. Improving equitable distribution of vaccine is a priority for the County and a plan developed by Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH) has been submitted to the Governors Office requesting more doses be provided to local health departments which have traditionally provided services to underserved communities not affiliated with the current providers. HCPH has additionally hired a health equality coordinator. 
2. Vaccine Town Halls: There was a news release this past Friday that The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is having a series of Town Halls for several specific communities to insure all Ohioans have access to information needed to make informed decisions about the COVID-19 vaccines. “Having questions answered with credible information can impact whether someone chooses to get the vaccine. We are excited to provide accurate and reliable information from trusted sources,” said ODH Director Stephanie McCloud. Though each town hall is targeted for a specific population, they are open to anyone. They will be live-streamed on ODH’s Facebook and YouTube channels and at coronavirus.ohio.gov/townhall:
   • Monday, Feb. 22, 6:30pm African American Ohioans
   • Tuesday, Feb. 23, Hispanic/Latino Ohioans
   • Monday, March 1, Asian American & Pacific Islander Ohioans
   • Tuesday, March 2, Rural Ohioans
3. Crisis Resources.
   • I mentioned in my previous report that Cares Act funding for unemployed residents was shut down for about a month, due predominantly to some technological glitches in the state system– causing folks not to get the benefits they were due. That system is back up and running, and Hamilton county is reporting that they sent out over 15k emails this week to make sure everyone eligible knows that the system is running again– and that if they are unemployed or underemployed due to COVID and in the past months weren’t able to get ahold of anyone for help– to please try again.
   • Last week the Biden Administration announced it would extend the foreclosure moratorium and mortgage forbearance through the end of June. The actions announced will:
     • Extend the foreclosure moratorium for homeowners through June30th.
     • Extend the mortgage payment forbearance enrollment window until June 30th for borrowers who wish to request forbearance. 
     • Provide up to an additional 6 months of mortgage payment forbearance, in 3 month increments, for borrowers who entered forbearance on or before June 30th last year. 
     • The actions do not address a federal moratorium through March 31st on evictions of tenants who have fallen behind on rent.
   • Also last week Governor DeWine announced that the State is revisiting visitation restrictions currently in place at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Announcements about it will be made this Wednesday the 25th.
4. Find the closest location to get vaccinated. This was posted in my previous report, but again, if you are an individual eligible for priority vaccination, visit: https://vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov. There are 43 locations in Hamilton County listed here where you can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

• • The location closest to our village is WinMed Health Services, at Community Action Agency, 1740 Langdon Farm Road, Suite 300. Their phone number is (513) 631-7100. If you are eligible for priority vaccination, you call that number and schedule (They do all their vaccinations on Monday afternoons).
  • WinMed Health Services has another location in Winton Woods that is also fairly close to us, and that location does vaccinations on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The number to schedule at that location is 513-242-1033.
  • All the Kroger locations near us are also open for folks who qualify for priority vaccination. You can schedule with any of them (closest to us is the Norwood or Marburg Kroger Pharmacies). You can schedule online at https://kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated 

• Please help spread this information so that we can make sure that any of our residents who are especially vulnerable to this virus have the opportunity to sign-up and get vaccinated during this priority period.  

Black History Month. As we round out the end of Black History Month, I want to share the story of how inoculation was introduced to America by an enslaved African man. I’m thinking it is particularly timely to share this story given the present pandemic, the heightened awareness and conversations about the science of vaccines. I’ve posted this portion of my report separately here.

Acknowledging the Heroism of Medical Professionals. I posted about this in a previous report, but want to reiterate it here so as to hopefully not miss anyone. I’d like to honor our residents who are medical professionals for the work they’ve been doing during the pandemic. Please help spread the word. I’m asking that Council members (and anyone reading this in the village) reach out to your neighbors in the community and share the word of my intention. Again, that is any healthcare professionals living in Golf Manor, on active duty during the pandemic. I will personally thank each one of them and give them a framed copy of a proclamation acknowledging their heroic service to the greater community– but I need to discover who they are– I need their names! We’ve had a couple of folks respond to our call for names of residents who are healthcare professionals– but so far we have a total of less than 10 folks, and I’m sure there are more out there! Please help me find them!

This report is respectfully submitted to the Village residents of Golf Manor. Thank you for the honor of being your Mayor. To our staff and elected officials, thank you for your service to the community.

Stefan Densmore, Mayor, Village of Golf Manor