COLUMBUS — Ohio crossed a long-awaited milestone over the weekend as more than half of the state’s population received at least one dose of a COVI-19 vaccine.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, 5,845,986 Ohioans — equal to 50.01% of the state’s total population — has started the vaccination process.
Among those who are eligible to receive the vaccine, the percentage was much higher. Of those age 12 and over, 58.45% had received at least their first dose of the vaccine.
Governor Mike DeWine on Friday warned the state has been split into “two Ohios,” the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, as it battles the surging delta variant.
The state has seen cases and hospitalizations spike after weeks of record lows in May and June.
The majority of the cases are reported to be the highly contagious and more severe delta variant and the vast majority are among unvaccinated residents.
“We have vaccines that are powerful and do an amazing job. They are so powerful that we now live in a state with two groups of people — those vaccinated and those not,” DeWine said. “Those who are vaccinated are safe, those who are not vaccinated are not safe.”
DeWine adds that the recent surge in Ohio has also led to an increase in vaccinations in nearly every county, even in those with the lowest rates of inoculation.
He said the health department reported an increase of vaccinations in 85 of Ohio’s 88 counties in July compared to the previous month while last week saw an increase in all 88 counties compared to the first week in July.
Judge orders defendant to get vaccinated
A Cincinnati judge has ordered a man who pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge to show proof he’s been vaccinated as a condition of his probation.
A transcript of the Wednesday hearing shows Common Pleas Judge Christopher Wagner told 21-year-old Brandon Rutherford he needed to provide proof of vaccination to his probation officer within two months.
Rutherford pleaded guilty to fentanyl possession in June.
The judge issued a statement Friday saying fentanyl is deadlier than vaccines and COVID-19.