COLUMBUS – Ohio’s governor is happy with the response to Ohio’s Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive and the impact it has had on vaccinations.
“The vaccinations that we’ve received after we announced the Vax-a-Million have exceeded my wildest expectations,” Gov. Mike DeWine said during a regular pandemic news briefing Monday, ahead of Wednesday’s first drawing for the cash prize and college scholarship.
Nearly 2.8 million residents have registered for the incentive prize and DeWine says vaccinations have surged across demographic groups. Vaccinations increased 94% among Ohioans 16 and 17 years old, 46% among 18- and 19-year-olds and 55% among those between 20 and 49 years old, he said.
The weekly lottery provides five $1 million prizes to adults and five full-ride college scholarships to children between 12 and 17 years of age.
In total, 2,758,470 Ohioans had registered for the Vax-a-Million drawing by the midnight Sunday deadline for the first drawing and 104,386 young Ohioans had registered for the scholarship drawings, DeWine said.
Winners will be announced weekly at the end of the Ohio Lottery’s Cash Explosion TV show at 7:29 p.m.
Vaccinated Ohioans can register for subsequent drawings at ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling 833-4-ASK-ODH. Once you register, your entry will be carried over for future drawings.
DeWine announced the incentive program May 12 as a way of building enthusiasm for the slowing COVID-19 vaccination effort.
Vaccinated people were less likely to contract COVID-19 and infect others, making it the most effective tool for slowing the spread and “get us back to normal.”
“And the more people that can’t pass it, the faster this devil goes away,” he said.
The drawing was conducted using a random number generator and observed by a representative of the Ohio Auditor of State. Results of the drawing were provided to the Ohio Department of Health to verify the winners ahead of the announcement.
Franklin County Public Health, the agency governing all of the county except Columbus and Worthington, is lifting its mask order, which was imposed last July, to align with recent guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A similar state health order issued on May 17 allowing fully vaccinated people to resume activities without wearing mask, except on planes, trains, buses and other forms of public transportation, remains in effect until June 2 when DeWine says all state health restrictions will be rescinded.
Franklin County is currently experiencing a high incidence of disease activity: 102 cases per 100,000 compared to 89.8 cases per 100,000 population statewide and fewer than 41% of residents are completely vaccinated, health commissioner Joe Mazzola said..
The county is still “red” in the Ohio Public Health Advisory System (see illustration).
Statewide, 5.18 million Ohioans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine – 44.31% of the population – and 4.54 million, or 38.84%, have been fully vaccinated.
Moderna announced Tuesday says that its COVID-19 vaccine strongly protects kids as young as 12 and it intends to submit the teen data to the Food and Drug Administration and other global regulators early next month.
Earlier this month, the U.S. and Canada authorized another vaccine by Pfizer and BioNTech to be used starting at age 12.
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Organizers of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon are moving forward with plans for an in-person race on Oct. 17. Registration opens June 1.
“With the improving conditions surrounding COVID-19, we are excited to take this next step in our return to the streets of Columbus on the third Sunday of October” Dan Leite, chairman of the Columbus Marathon Board of Trustees, said.
The 2020 race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the 2021 event cannot take place in October due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, registrants will be issued a full refund, officials said.
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The event which became the pandemic’s first casualty is also returning this fall.
The 2021 Arnold Classic and related IFBB Pro League bodybuilding contests return to Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 25.
The 2021 Arnold Sports Festival, originally scheduled for March, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and is scheduled to return March 3-6, 2022.
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The state on Tuesday reported 566 new cases of COVID-19, the lowest daily number since June.
The disease has sickened a total of 1,097,866 Ohioans and has claimed 19,709 lives.
There were 21,716 active cases in Ohio, with 767 of those patients being treated in hospitals. There were 88 new hospital admissions, bringing the total number of Ohioans who have been hospitalized during the pandemic to 58,678.
The seven-day positivity rate was 3.3%.