COLUMBUS (AP) — The state says a southwestern Ohio woman is the first winner of Ohio’s $1 million Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive prize.
The state also says a Dayton-area teen is the first winner of the program’s full-ride college scholarship.
The names were announced Wednesday night at the end of the Ohio Lottery’s Cash Explosion TV show.
Abbigail Bugenske, from Silverton in Hamilton County, won the first $1 million prize and Joseph Costello, from Englewood in Montgomery County, won the first scholarship, which includes four years tuition, books, and room and board at an Ohio public university or college.
The winners were selected in the drawing conducted by the Ohio Lottery and overseen by the Ohio Auditor of State on Monday, May 24, 2021.
“We’re excited that this has inspired so many Ohioans to get vaccinated, and we’re thrilled to announce the winners of the first round of drawings,” said Governor Mike DeWine, who introduced the incentive program May 12 as a way of boosting participation in the state’s flagging vaccination efforts.
More than 2.7 million adults signed up for the $1 million prize and more than 104,000 children ages 12 to 17 entered the drawing for the college scholarship.
The second of five drawings is scheduled for June 3.
An Ohio House committee has heard testimony on a GOP bill that would prohibit public and private employers from requiring vaccinations or punishing workers who don’t receive them.
The bill before the House Health Committee also strengthens the notices that schools must provide parents about exemptions they can seek against having their children vaccinated.
The legislation would also repeal a state law requiring college students to disclose whether they’ve been vaccinated against hepatitis B and meningococcal meningitis.
Bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Gross is a Republican from West Chester in southwestern Ohio, and a nurse practitioner.
She says she believes in vaccines but also in personal choice.
But Democrats opposed to the measure, such as Representatives Allison Russo of Upper Arlington and Beth Liston of Dublin say it ignores provisions already in place that allow Ohioans to turn down vaccinations.
“Supporters call it a ‘medical freedom’ bill, but as written, this legislation denies the freedom of businesses and employers to protect their workers and customers from diseases we know can be primarily prevented with vaccines,” Russo said.
“This is a dangerous bill that will lead to death…This bill applies to all vaccines — polio, measles, meningitis, etc. If it becomes law, we will see worsening measles outbreaks, meningitis in the dorms, and children once again suffering from polio,” Liston said.
They accuse proponents of making misleading claims about the virus and supposed dangers from the vaccine during testimony, comparing their efforts to the civil rights battles of the 1960s and efforts to require proof of vaccination to the Holocaust.
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The number of Ohioans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell for the second week in a row, indicating that layoffs may be slowing and workers are finding jobs as the state prepares for the lifting of pandemic health and safety measures next week.
The state reported to the U.S. Department of Labor that there were 13,661 initial jobless claims during the week that ended May 22, 22% fewer than the week before.
The number of Ohio workers continuing to collect regular and extended unemployment benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments declined by 1.7%.
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped last week to 406,000, a new pandemic low and more evidence that the job market is strengthening as the virus wanes and economy further reopens.
The number of weekly applications for jobless aid — a rough measure of the pace of layoffs — has fallen by more than half since January.
The state reported Wednesday that 5,229,367, or 44.74% of the total population, had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and that 4,581,171, or 39.19% of the population, were fully vaccinated.
For their fifth straight day, Ohio reported fewer than 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus and the 20,467 active cases of COVID-19 is the lowest number since Oct. 10.
There were 784 Ohioans being treated in hospitals for the disease with 97 new admissions, bringing the total number of hospitalized patients to 58,907.
A total of 1,099,580 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed since the pandemic began and the virus has claimed the lives of 19,753 Ohioans.
‘The seven-day positivity rate is 3.2%.