Cincinnati Bengals Are Playoff Bound, and 7 Other Greater Cincinnati Stories You Missed This Week

The Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up for the Wild Card, but COVID-19 dominated headlines this week, stealing a little bit of "Who Dey" thunder.

Jan 14, 2022 at 5:04 pm
click to enlarge The Cincinnati Bengals' Sam Hubbard wants you to root for the team without catching or spreading COVID-19. - Photo: madeforbengalswatching.com
Photo: madeforbengalswatching.com
The Cincinnati Bengals' Sam Hubbard wants you to root for the team without catching or spreading COVID-19.

The Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up for the Wild Card, but COVID-19 dominated headlines this week, stealing a little bit of "Who Dey" thunder. Below, catch up on this week's biggest stories.

CityBeat's Best Of Cincinnati Readers Poll Is Live. Go Vote!
Readers, you have the power to determine the winners for the 26th edition of CityBeat's Best of Cincinnati Awards. Your votes will determine the area's best Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife, Arts & Culture, Sports & Recreation and City Life. If you don't like the current nomination options — pre-populated with last year's vote-getters — write in your own. Vote in CityBeat's Best of Cincinnati Awards.

Cincinnati Doctor: COVID's Omicron Variant Spreads as Fast as Measles
As much as we want all of this stuff to be over with, COVID-19 is still around. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is putting more Cincinnati residents into the hospital than ever before and causing severe strain on healthcare workers. "It's one of the most transmissible viruses in the history of the world," says Deborah Hayes, president and CEO of The Christ Hospital. Read CityBeat's story about the dire situations local doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers are experiencing.

Officials: If You're Going to the Cincinnati Bengals Game, You'd Best Be COVID-19 Vaccinated and Boosted
And just as healthcare workers are begging for residents' help in slowing COVID-19, Bengals fans are getting ready to celebrate the home team being in the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. Read Cincinnati health officials' advice for staying safe(er) if you're going to watch Saturday's NFL Wild Card playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium or at a bar. By the way, here's how to watch the game at home.

Cincinnati, Hamilton County Enact New Emergency Measures Due to COVID-19 Surge
Both governments declared states of emergency due to the rapidly spreading virus. In Cincinnati, masks are now required in all city facilities, while Hamilton County officials are using the declaration to speed up the purchasing of much-needed resources. Read CityBeat's story about what each declaration entails and why they're in place.

Cincinnati Public Schools Go Remote Thanks to Significant COVID-19 Employee Shortage
After nearly 800 employees called off work by Jan. 6, the Cincinnati Public Schools District announced that it would move to remote learning until Jan. 24 — that is, as long as enough educators and staff have recovered by that point. Read CityBeat's story about the Board of Education's decision to close schools.

Cincinnati Music Accelerator’s Music Business Academy Aims to ‘End the Cycle of Starving Artists’
Performing isn't the only important aspect about the music industry. Cincinnati Music Accelerator is making sure local artists learn how to strengthen their careers through classes in finance, monetization, music licensing, entertainment law, marketing and branding and other skills. Read CityBeat's story about musicians whose careers have taken off thanks to skills learned from CMA.

Taking a Break From Drinking? Try These Dry January Activities in Greater Cincinnati
If your liver is begging for relief after all the holiday imbibing, you're not alone. But doing Dry January doesn't mean your social life has to suffer. Read CityBeat's story about four fun ways to make your alcohol-free weekends count this month.

Only Five Graeter's Fiona Bars Contain Golden Tickets for a Painting from Cincinnati's Favorite Hippo
It's a dream straight out of Wonkavision! The Cincinnati Zoo and Graeter's Ice Cream have teamed up on Fiona Bars — special chocolate bars that may contain a golden ticket good for one of Fiona's famous "kiss" paintings. Read CityBeat's story to learn how to get your hands on one of the limited-edition Fiona Bars.

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