With the number of COVID-19 cases soaring, Ohio finally exceeded 6 million people who at least have started the vaccination process.

Getting from 5.5 million to 6 million took more than two months even with the number of people getting vaccinated increasing during the past few weeks as cases jumped.

Ohio had 4,117 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday. It was the first time the state exceeded 4,000 since 4,120 were reported Feb. 4.

The Ohio Department of Health reported Tuesday that 6,002,058 people in the state at least had started the vaccination process.

It is 51.35 percent of the state’s population and 60.02 percent of those at least 12 years of age, the minimum eligibility age for the vaccine, according to the ODH.

“This is an important milestone because as more Ohioans gain robust immunity through vaccination, we reduce the opportunities for this virus to spread, mutate and inflict serious harm and we get closer to the day when this virus can no longer upend our lives,” Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH director, said.

He’s said several times the delta variant among the unvaccinated, which spreads quickly, is almost entirely to blame for the increase in cases.

It took 66 days to go from 5.5 million to more than 6 million vaccinated.

The state exceeded 5.5 million people who at least started the vaccination process June 19, 32 days after it went past 5 million, which occurred May 18. The state made everyone at least 12 years of age eligible for the vaccine May 13.

Ohio received its first vaccines Dec. 14, 2020, in limited quantities and greatly restricted access for a while.

The vaccine eligibility age was lowered from 60 to 50 on March 11. By March 18, 2.5 million Ohioans started getting inoculated.

The state exceeded 3 million on March 25, a week later, and went past 3.5 million on April 2, eight days after that. Ohio made everyone at least 16 years of age eligible for the vaccine March 29.

Ohio surpassed 4 million April 10, eight days after getting past 3.5 million.

On April 24, the state went over 4.5 million, 14 days after exceeding 4 million.

Getting past 5 million occurred May 18, 24 days after exceeding 4.5 million.

COVID-19 DATA

Tuesday was the 15th consecutive day in which Ohio exceeded 1,800 daily COVID-19 cases. That includes eight that had more than 3,000 cases with Tuesday being the first since Feb. 4 to exceed 4,000 cases.

The 4,117 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday is up from the daily average of 2,623 for the past 21 days, according to the ODH.

Of those new cases Tuesday, 164 were in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties combined.

The entire state was averaging about 260 cases per day six weeks ago.

The state had a total of 1,187,878 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 1,113,383 presumed recovered and 20,729 deaths.

The ODH usually provides death information on Tuesdays and Fridays. There were 40 COVID-19 deaths noted Tuesday.

Mahoning County had 23,789 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 22,265 presumed recovered and 617 deaths.

Trumbull County had 17,635 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 16,465 presumed recovered and 494 deaths.

Columbiana County had 9,849 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 9,077 presumed recovered and 236 deaths.

VACCINATIONS

There were 6,002,058 people, 51.35 percent of the state’s population, who at least had started getting inoculated as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, including 10,221 in the previous 24 hours, according to the ODH.

In Mahoning County, 49.79 percent of the population (113,758 people) had received at least one dose, while 47.55 percent of the population in Trumbull County (94,145 people) and 40.2 percent in Columbiana County (40,959 people) had as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the ODH.

There were 5,545,643 people, 47.44 percent of the state’s population, who finished the vaccinations as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, including 6,973 in the prior 24 hours.

In Mahoning County, 45.87 percent of the population (104,895 people) had completed the process, while 43.54 percent of the population in Trumbull (86,204 people) and 37.18 percent of the population in Columbiana (37,884 people) had as of 6 a.m. Tuesday.

dskolnick@vindy.com