More than 1.5 million people in Ohio have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The state went over that amount Wednesday when the Ohio Department of Health reported 1,500,364 people had received the first of the two-dose vaccine. That includes 25,780 people from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Overall, that’s 12.84 percent of the state’s population.

In Mahoning County, 15.26 percent of the population (34,903 people) had received at least the first dose compared to 12.94 percent in Trumbull County (25,623 people) and 12.86 percent in Columbiana County (13,101 people), according to the ODH.

The state is expected to exceed 750,000 people today getting both vaccine doses.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, 742,857 people — 6.36 percent of the state’s population — had received both inoculations, including 35,476 in the prior 24 hours.

In Mahoning County, 7 percent of the population (16,007 people) had received both doses while 6.3 percent of the population in Trumbull (12,477 people) and 5.16 percent of the population in Columbiana (5,255 people) had both doses as of Wednesday.

Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that the state won’t lower the minimum age to get the vaccine below 65 until those at least that age have had opportunities to get it.

The next phase is to lower the age to 60 and then eventually 55 and then 50.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation called Wednesday for DeWine to include African Americans in the next expanded eligibility group for COVID-19 vaccine.

“African Americans are disproportionally affected by COVID-19, but we’re not considered when Gov. DeWine rolled out the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccinations,” Barbara Sykes, its president and CEO, said. “Black Ohioans have been underserved and not getting a cure.”

DeWine previously has acknowledged an issue getting the vaccine to minorities.

But he said Monday that when the minimum age goes to 60, the state “may look at certain smaller groups because of exposure,” but declined to disclose who might be eligible. Based on DeWine’s statement, a group as large as all African Americans being eligible is highly unlikely.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, only 5.34 percent of the state’s African-American population had received at least the first dose compared to 12.05 percent of the white population, according to ODH data.

COVID-19 DATA

The state reported 1,842 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. It’s the third time in four days with fewer than 2,000 cases reported in Ohio.

The 1,842 cases Wednesday also is below the daily average of 2,537 during the past 21 days, according to the ODH.

Overall, the state has 959,995 COVID-19 cases with 897,425 presumed recovered and 17,045 deaths as of Wednesday.

That includes 77 new deaths reported Wednesday with four in Mahoning and one in Trumbull counties, according to the ODH.

Mahoning County had 19,282 total cases as of Wednesday with 17,865 presumed recovered and 537 deaths, according to the ODH.

The state reported 14,171 total COVID-19 cases in Trumbull County as of Wednesday with 13,069 presumed recovered and 455 fatalities.

Columbiana County had 8,052 total COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday with 7,508 presumed recovered and 179 deaths.

COVID-19 by the numbers

The number of cases, changes in cases and deaths in counties in the region and statewide as of Wednesday:

County Cases Change since Change since Deaths

yesterday last week

Trumbull 14,171 +35 +237 455

Mahoning 19,282 +31 +295 537

Columbiana 8,052 +3 +110 179

Ohio 959,995 +1,842 +14,888 17,045

SOURCE: Ohio Department of Health