Ohio Surpasses 1 Million Cases Of COVID-19

Ohio topped one million coronavirus cases on Monday.

The Ohio Department of Health reported 1,444 new covid-19 cases on Monday afternoon, bringing the state’s total case count to 1,001,194 just over a year after the first steps were taken to combat the virus.

Health officials say that at least 18,300 Ohioans have died due to complications from the virus.

Beginning March 29th, any Ohioan 16-years-old and older becomes eligible to receive the vaccine.

The governor Monday morning announced that vaccine providers who are not able to fill appointments for Ohioans currently eligible for the shot may offer appointments to anyone 16 or older.

Ohioans between 16 and 39 years old are scheduled to become eligible for the vaccine beginning Monday.

DeWine said health officials, particularly in the rural parts of the state, are sometimes having difficulty filling appointments and “what we don’t want is any slots not filled.”

Around 2.8 million Ohioans have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, around 24 percent of the state population.

In Hancock County nearly 17,000 people, or around 22 percent of the population, have started the vaccination process.