COLUMBUS, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine has officially declared March 9 as a Day of Remembrance in honor of the more than 17,500 Ohioans who have died from COVID-19 in the last year.
On March 9, 2020, three people were reported to have COVID-19—the first cases in the state. In response, the governor declared a state of emergency across the state. All three of the first cases were in Cuyahoga County.
Since then, nearly 1,000,000 people in Ohio have tested positive, over 50,000 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19, and over 17,000 Ohio residents have died. The state estimates that 927,244 people have recovered from COVID-19 in the past year.
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On Monday, DeWine ordered flags across the state to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case in Ohio. All flags at public buildings and grounds were ordered to lower flags from sunrise to sunset on Tuesday, March 9.
You can view DeWine’s full Day of Remembrance declaration below:
