Ohio Judge Orders Man To Get COVID-19 Vaccine As Part Of Probation

An Ohio judge has ordered a defendant to get the COVID-19 vaccine as part of his probation and “protect the community” amid the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Ohio Judge Christopher Wagner ordered Brandon Rutherford, the defendant, to get vaccinated against COVID-19 within 60 days of his court appearance on August 4 or face jail time. The judge said his order is part of his role to “rehabilitate” the defendant.

"This defendant was in possession of fentanyl, which is deadlier than the vaccine and COVID 19," Wagner said in a statement to CNN. "The defendant expressed no objection during the proceedings and stated no medical concerns, and his attorney did not object."

However, Rutherford later told the publication that he would not take the vaccine and added that he wore a mask to court because he is unvaccinated. Carl Lewis, his attorney, said they plan to wait until the 60 days are up to see what the judge does before filing any opposition to the vaccine order.

The Delta variant is currently surging in states with low vaccination rates, prompting experts to warn that the continued spread of the virus among unvaccinated people could lead to a more serious disease.

"As we've said all along this is fundamentally a pandemic among the unvaccinated," White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press. He also spoke about the possibility of the emergence of a new and more dangerous variant.

"If you allow the virus to freely circulate and not try to stop it, sooner or later you there is a likelihood you will get another variant that could — I'm not saying it will — that could be more problematic than the Delta.”

In parts of the South, some patients have been unable to get the medical treatment they need because hospitals there are either running out of space or facing staff shortages due to a surge of COVID-19 cases.

Susan Walker, whose husband is now in a medically induced coma after testing positive for COVID-19, said she has been forced to search for hospitals in southern and northern Florida with ECMO treatment available.

"He is on a ventilator and in dire need of an ECMO treatment, which is not available at the hospital that he is in," she told CNN on Sunday. “All the beds are taken up by Covid victims also getting ECMO."

In Austin, Texas, city officials have begun sending out an alert to its residents warning them about the “dire” COVID-19 situation in the area.

“The COVID-19 situation in Austin is dire. Healthcare facilities are open but resources are limited due to a surge in cases,” the message read, as reported by The New York Times.

The U.S. crossed the 100,000 mark for new confirmed cases daily Saturday, a milestone it last exceeded in November, according to the Associated Press.