As Phase 1B of the state's vaccination plan continues, Hamilton County is expected to receive more than 14,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses.
More vaccines are coming to a county that has already begun vaccinating more than 9% of the its population. Starting Feb. 15, Ohioans with specific medical conditions are eligible to begin the vaccination process. Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said there are a lot of people eligible to get vaccinated in the county, but there's still not enough vaccine to satisfy the demand.
"If you're eligible now, it does not mean that there will be a dose of vaccine waiting for you," Kesterman said. "This is a hard reality, but it's the truth. It might take a month or two to get everyone that is now eligible to get vaccinated, so we are continuing to remind folks to be patient as we work with the vaccine and lobby to get more vaccine here in Hamilton County."
Nearly 3% of the county's population have been fully vaccinated. See the complete list below on who will be eligible starting Feb. 15.
Cases And Hospitalizations Decreasing, Deaths Jump Up
Hamilton County is seeing less COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations over the past few weeks. However, 27 new deaths were reported in the county within the past week. Commissioner Denise Driehaus said deaths haven't been this high since June.
"Death count as we know is a lagging indicator, and so we think this is perhaps an indication that people did get together in some cases over the holidays," Driehaus said. "They caught COVID, they were in the hospital, and now many folks have passed away."
At least 487 people have died from COVID-19 in Hamilton County during the pandemic. Slightly more than 2,000 new cases were reported within the last week.
Kesterman said while hospitals are overburdened, they're in a better position than they were a month ago.
"They're not perfect yet, there still is a lot of strain within our systems," Kesterman said. "There are other illnesses that we they still need to treat, but we are absolutely heading in the right direction."
The county is currently averaging 304 new cases per day, less than half of what the county was averaging a month ago. However, there are still more than 7,000 active cases.
During the pandemic, 69,858 people have tested positive for COVID-19. At least 2,481 people have been hospitalized and 487 people have died.
