Feb 5, 2021
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that Ohio banks and insurance companies have agreed to loan experts to the state human services agency to address problems with the jobless claims system.
The salaries of the 16 individuals in the public-private partnership will be covered by their employers.
Over the past 45 weeks, the state’s human services agency has distributed more than $8 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 908,000 Ohioans. But the system has also been plagued by delays and complaints from people on the phone for hours, unable to get help.
The 3.6 million unemployment claims filed during the pandemic are more than filed during the recessions of 1991, 2002 and 2009 combined, said Kimberly Henderson, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Private sector invited to fix Ohio jobless claims issues
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine planned Thursday to announce plans for private sector involvement in the state’s troubled jobless claims program, a system battered by a flood of pandemic-related requests.
Over the past 45 weeks, the state’s Human Services’ agency has distributed more than $8 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 908,000 Ohioans. But the system has also been plagued by delays and complaints from people on the phone for hours, unable to get help.
The Department of Job and Family Services is also fighting a flood of fraudulent claims. Last week, the Republican DeWine said he’d had enough and would bring in private sector experts.
Governor says Pfizer, Moderna, boosting vaccination supply
By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINSFebruary 4, 2021 GMT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohio can expect to see more doses of the coronavirus vaccine that it’s receiving from both Pfizer and Moderna in the coming weeks, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday.
Ohio currently receives about 73,000 doses a week from each company, with Moderna expected to increase that amount to about 105,000 next week, the governor said. Pfizer officials have told DeWine that its own weekly supply of 73,000 should grow by about 40% by the middle of February and double by the end of March.
That good news was tempered by a notice from the governor that he repeated again Thursday: Once Ohio begins providing vaccines next week to everyone 65 and older, the state will hold at that level for several weeks because that age group is so large, at about 2 million.
Prison, restaurant workers hoping to be next in line for COVID-19 vaccine
The unions representing both groups are pushing state leaders to prioritize these workers in the next phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Author: Brittany Bailey Updated: 5:46 PM EST December 18, 2020
COLUMBUS, Ohio The COVID-19 vaccine has finally arrived in Ohio.
This week, health care workers and staff and residents in long-term care facilities were among the first to receive them.
They’re among those listed in Phase 1A of Gov. Mike DeWine’s guidelines on the rollout of the vaccine distribution.
The question is – who comes next?
Several groups are clamoring for that opportunity, including those who work in some of Ohio’s hot spots – prisons.