COVID-19

                 

 

House Bill 404 extended the deadline for renewal of licenses that were due to expire between March 9, 2020 – April 1, 2021. Click here for further details.

 

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• 1/13/21 - Phase 1B Timeline, Nursing Home Vaccinations & Current Case Data

 

• 1/4/21 - The Ohio Department of Health has provided additional guidance for contact tracing to COVID testing sites. 

  • Contact Tracing Explainer and Guidance 

  • Diagnosis, Treatment, and Quarantine

  • CDC Case Investigation and Contact Tracing 

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• 12/24/20 - The Ohio Department of Health has developed a COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Toolkit for providers that includes talking points, language tips, graphics, and more to communicate about the vaccination with staff and patients.

 

• 12/8/20 - Updated Health Alert about Quarantine Guidance and ODH Recommended Options for Quarantine

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• 12/8/20 - The Ohio Department of Health has created a guidance document that shares vaccine updates, safety tips, and important resources with Ohio providers.

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• 12/2/20 - The Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) Vaccine Preparedness Office has been preparing for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine for months. The vaccine will be distributed using the same process as the adult influenza vaccine. Click here to view learn about the process and the training exercises that ODH is conducting.

 

• 11/23/20 - The Ohio Department of Health clarified that ultra-cold storage is not required for enrollment as a COVID-19 vaccination provider. Providers interested in administering the COVID-19 vaccine are urged to enroll now.

  • Ultra-Cold Vaccine Planning Considerations Fact Sheet

  • How to Access the Vaccination Provider Program

  • Ohio COVID-19 Vaccination Program Enrollment Checklist 

 

• 11/18/20 - The Ohio Department of Health has identified sites in Ohio to receive the pre-positioned vaccine after a COVID-19 vaccine is given emergency-use authorization. Click here to view the update and current case data.

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• 10/30/20 - If you are a provider interested in administering the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, The Ohio Department of Health urges you to enroll now.  

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• 10/23/20 - The Ohio Department of Health and the Governor’s Pandemic Response and Recovery Leadership Team invites you to view a webinar on how to participate in the Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program. This webinar is now available on demand and provides an overview of Ohio’s proposed vaccination strategy, as well as detailed instructions if you choose to become a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program Provider Enrollment Overview PDF

  • How to access to the Vaccination Provider Program

  • Ohio COVID-19 Vaccination Program Enrollment Checklist

 

• 10/22/20 - The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Interim Director Lance Himes has issued an amended Director’s Journal Entry with updated reporting requirements for COVID-19 to include the electronic reporting of all laboratory results related to SARS-CoV-2:

  • Click here for the Director of Health's Journal Entry outlining the new process

  • Read the updated Health Alert for new guidance​

 

• 10/20/20 - The Ohio Department of Health and the Governor’s Pandemic Response and Recovery Leadership Team invites prescribers to participate in a critical webinar on the Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program. This webinar will take place Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. and will discuss Ohio’s proposed vaccination strategy and the step-by-step process to become a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Click here to register for the webinar.

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Previously Issued Guidance & Updates

• 9/14/20 - ​The Ohio Department of Health released guidance that permits couples massage provided that massage tables are spaced 8 feet apart. The updated Responsible RestartOhio Sector-Specific Operating Requirements are available on the Medical Board's website here. 

• 7/30/20 - Update for Dispensing or Selling Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine

• 7/21/20 - Updated Guidance for Duration of Isolation 

• 6/25/20 - Governor DeWine announced the expansion of COVID-19 testing in Ohio. Testing supplies have been allocated to local jurisdictions during the past few months but will be transitioning to a formal request process through County Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs).

  • Click here for the Director of Health's memo outlining the new process

  • How to request resources through your county Emergency Management Agency

  • Emergency Management Agency resource request form​

• 6/15/20 - Updated Health Alert about Testing Procedures  

• 6/10/20 - Updated Guidance on Reuse of Decontaminated Respirator​

• 6/4/20 - Click here for the Director of Health's order amending requirements for non-essential surgeries and procedures

  • COVID-19 Testing Priorities graphic

  • Microbiology Specimen Submission Form​

• 5/20/20- Click here for Ohio's FAQs for Massage Therapy, Acupuncture & Cosmetic Therapy Reopening.

  • The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards' Guidelines for Practice are also now available here. However, these recommendations and guidelines do not replace any directives or guidance provided by federal or state agencies, regulatory boards, or other authorities having jurisdiction.​​

• 5/12/20- As Lt. Governor Husted announced during the May 12 press conference, all massage therapy in Ohio may resume May 15 as long as providers follow the Responsible RestartOhio Sector-Specific Operating Requirements. The Medical Board is pleased to present these guidelines for massage therapists, acupuncturists and cosmetic therapists which were developed by a collaboration of the board, industry voices and the Ohio Department of Health. The Medical Board recognizes that massage therapy, acupuncture, and cosmetic therapy are specialized industries and require particular guidance to support licensees and their clients' health and safety in the course of practice. 

• 5/8/20- Health Care Restart Resources Email: updated testing guidance, certification of COVID-19 deaths, coding changes, water supply flushing when returning to buildings, Responsible Restart Ohio guide for health care

• 5/8/20- Massage Therapy Update: The Medical Board is working diligently on the plan for reopening all massage therapy locations. Information will be available on med.ohio.gov, coronavirus.ohio.gov and sent to licensees as soon as the plan for client safety is finalized and a date is decided.​​

• 4/28/20 - Massage therapy locations are not included in the Ohio Department of Health’s Responsible RestartOhio plan. The State Medical Board of Ohio continues to follow the directives and guidance issued by the Ohio Department of Health regarding our licensees. We will continue to update our website and send updates as we receive information.

• 4/28/20 - Responsible RestartOhio Plan

• 4/24/20 - Provider updates (reporting cases, PPE, infection control procedures, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, wellness resources, telemedicine)

• 4/17/20 - COVID-19 case reporting and deferred elective procedures 

• 4/9/20 - COVID-19 updates from the April board meeting

• 4/6/20 - DEA decision tree for prescribing during the pandemic

  • Updated PPE guidance (ODH PPE message, PPE strategies, PPE use & reuse)

• 3/31/20 - CDC health alert: severe illness associated with using non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate

  • DEA guidance on Oral CII prescriptions

  • DEA registration of emergency temporary sites

• 3/30/20 - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Issues Statement on Prescribing Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine

• 3/26/20 - YOUR ideas for conservation of PPE

• 3/26/20 - UPDATED State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy rule addressing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine

• ​State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Guidance & Waivers

• 3/20/20 - Director of Health order for Massage Therapists

• 3/18/20 - Telemedicine, continuing education & CE changes

  • Updated telemedicine guidance

  • Special Meeting of the State Medical Board of Ohio

• 3/14/20 - Updated guidance for resource management; updated director's journal entry

• 3/11/20 - Statement on COVID-19 for Medical Board licensees 

• 3/5/20 - CDC updated Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential COVID-19 Exposures: Geographic Risk and Contacts of Laboratory-confirmed Cases

• 3/4/20 - CDC updated Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with COVID-19

• 2/28/20 - Coronavirus update from the Ohio Department of Health

• 1/29/20 - Health care providers reporting requirement notice

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Trusted resources

• State of Ohio's COVID-19 website

• State of Ohio's COVID-19 resources for health care providers

• Ohio Department of Health's COVID-19 call center

  • open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

  • 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's information for health care professionals

• World Health Organization's COVID-19 info

• DEAs COVID-19 information page

• Resources for children and pregnant women

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Important Contacts:

Your Local Health Department   ---   Your Local Emergency Management Agency