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DeWine: The number of Ohioans getting their first vaccine dose is “not where we want to be”

By WHIO Staff
By WHIO Staff

COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine discussed the low number of Ohioans receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. In his press conference on Wednesday, he said the 29,929 Ohioans who got their first dose is “not where we want to be” and “not where we have been.”

The state now has 38.05 percent of the total population with at least the dose of the vaccine. 27.54 percent of the state is fully vaccinated.

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With the state opening vaccinations to anyone over the age of 16, 130,196 of those ages 0 to 19 have received their first dose.

The state also has seen several days of below 2,000 new cases reported.

The following announcements were made during Wednesday’s briefing:

  • DeWine called yesterday’s verdict in the Derek Chauvin trail “a system of justice at work.”
  • The state is in the process of purchasing of body cameras for the entire Ohio State Highway Patrol.
  • A new police reform bill would move to treat law enforcement as “the profession it is” will be proposed in the next few days, according to DeWine. The bill would create a system that could pull an officer’s license, as well as implement a use of force data base and an officer discipline data base.
  • DeWine said that the state is in the process of finding an independent, sustainable funding source for increased law enforcement training across the state.
  • “A Little Litter is a Big Problem” is a campaign being launched to help cut down on the amount of litter and improve the environment statewide. Jack Marchbanks, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation, appeared and announced that ODOT picked up around 362,000 bags of trash off of state highways in 2020.
  • 1,789 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.
  • 29,929 new Ohioans have received the their first dose of the vaccine. DeWine said those numbers are “not where we want to be. Not where we have been.”
  • 38.05 percent, over 4.4 million Ohioans, of the state have received their first dose. 27.54 percent, 3.2 million Ohioans, are fully vaccinated.
  • The virus is more contagious now, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff. Variants are more easily contracted.
  • Clark County continues to rank in the top 20 counties in terms of cases per 100,000 with 223 cases per 100,000
  • In reference to the drop in number of people getting their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Vanderhoff said the second dose is what gives a person a “long-lasting” protection against the virus and its variants.
  • DeWine said the state is continuing to expand the number of vaccine providers, include primary care physicians.
  • Ohio is marking the one-year anniversary of the Ohio CareLine, which connects health professionals with anyone struggling with their mental health due to the pandemic. The line has taken over 6,100 calls since its launch in April 2020.
  • The state is combatting unemployment fraud. New tools, such as enhanced identification requirements, have intercepted over 40 percent of initial fraud attempts.

Cox Media Group

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