10,000 Ohioans Have Died Because Of COVID-19

COLUMBUS, OH — More than 10,000 Ohioans have died because of COVID-19 complications, the Ohio Department of Health announced Friday.

The pandemic, which began in March, has endured for nearly a year. Cases and hospitalizations have spiked and waned during that time, but the loss of life never ceased.

Mark Wagoner Sr., 76, an attorney from Lucas County, was the first Ohioan to die from the virus. Family members chose to identify their father to encourage neighbors to follow health and safety precautions. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said he knew Wagoner personally and expressed his sympathies to the family.

Since Wagoner's death, the virus has spread through parties, funerals, schools, prisons and any situation in which people gathered together. More than 800,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among Ohioans during the 10-month pandemic. Hospitals have occasionally struggled to treat an influx of patients.

Industries shut down to stymie COVID-19's spread. Ohio replaced the director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, who resigned after months of online abuse and protests outside her home. The state saw multiple political battles over the authority of the governor and his administration to issue health orders.

And despite continued admonition, begging and cajoling of the public to avoid gatherings, to regularly wash hands with soap and water and to wear masks outside the home, the Buckeye State still averages nearly 75 COVID-19-related deaths and 7,500 new cases per day.

But there are reasons for hope. Two COVID-19 vaccines have debuted and are being administered to Ohio's most vulnerable residents: older people, frontline health care workers and those with chronic serious illnesses.

But the pace of vaccination is slow. Ohio receives approximately 100,000 doses of the vaccines per week. Nearly 11.7 million people live in the Buckeye State, according to the U.S. Census. And vaccine recipients must receive two shots to be properly immunized. DeWine has repeatedly said the state simply does not have enough vaccines.

Ohio will move into phase 1B of its vaccine distribution plan on Jan. 19. Ohioans 80 and older can begin receiving vaccines on Jan. 19. A week later, on Jan. 25, Ohioans 75 and older can receive the vaccine. On Feb. 1, officials will make the vaccine available to Ohioans 70 and older, and on Feb. 8, Ohioans 65 and older can start the vaccine.

Ohioans 65 and older make up the vast majority of COVID-19-related deaths in Ohio. To save lives, that age group will be vaccinated next.

"Our goal is to eventually vaccinate anyone in Ohio who wants a vaccination. We must take this one week at a time. We want to save lives, get our kids back to school, and protect our front line medical responders. These goals drive every decision we make," DeWine said Thursday.