The gap in COVID-19 vaccination numbers for Ohio and Highland County has continued to rise in both the “vaccine started” and “vaccine completed” categories, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard.

On Monday, the dashboard said the state average for “vaccine started” was 44.31 percent per 100,000 residents, compared to the Highland County average of 27.52.

In terms of completed vaccines, the state average was 38.84 percent, compared to the Highland County average of 24.41 percent.

According to the dashboard, the 27.52 percent of the population in Highland County that had started its vaccinations equaled 11,590 people. The ODH considers started as “when an individual has received at least one valid dose of COVID-19 vaccine.”

The dashboard lists the following COVID-19 figures for various age groups in Highland County:

* 0-19 — 336 people, or 3.02 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 20-29 — 675 people, or 13.68 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 30-39 — 869 people, or 18.03 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 40-49 — 1,264 people, or 23.99 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 50-59 — 2,133 people, or 36.83 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 60-64 — 1,511 people, or 49.59 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 65-69 — 1,507 people, or 58.21 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 70-74 — 1,357 people, or 63.59 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 75-79 — 972 people, or 64.71 percent, have started their vaccines.

* 80 and over — 1,253 people, or 64.49 percent, have started their vaccines.

According to the dashboard, the 24.41 percent of the population in Highland County that had completed its vaccinations equaled 10,537 people. The ODH considers completed when “an individual has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses and is considered fully immunized.”

The dashboard lists the following COVID-19 figures for various age groups in Highland County:

* 0-19 — 190 people, or 1.71 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 20-29 — 528 people, or 10.70 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 30-39 — 730 people, or 15.14 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 40-49 — 1,088 people, or 20.65 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 50-59 — 1,886 people, or 32.57 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 60-64 — 1,398 people, or 45.88 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 65-69 — 1,355 people, or 52.34 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 70-74 — 1,265 people, or 59.28 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 75-79 — 910 people, or 60.59 percent, have completed their vaccines.

* 80 and over — 1,187 people, or 61.09 percent, have completed their vaccines.

According to the dashboard, since the pandemic began Highland County has had 3,576 total COVID-19 cases, 197 hospitalizations, 62 deaths and 3,455 presumed recovered from the virus.

Gov. Mike DeWine said in a Monday update that Ohio is seeing an increased rate of vaccinations after the announcement of the Ohio Vax-a-Million program. He said that from May 14-19 compared to the statistics of May 7-12, vaccinations in Ohio increased 94 percent for those 16 and 17 years old, 46 percent for those people 18 and 19 years old, and 55 percent for those people between 20 and 49.

He said 2,758,470 Ohioans have registered for the program. The first drawing will happen at 7:29 p.m. Wednesday.

DeWine also clarified information on isolation and quarantining in terms of Ohio school students. He said that beginning on June 2, in accordance with CDC guidance, vaccinated children do not have to quarantine or be tested if they are exposed to COVID-19. He also said unvaccinated children that are exposed to COVID-19 should quarantine if the exposure happened outside of a classroom setting where masks were required and the children should also isolate if they test positive for the virus.

“While these are not state health orders, isolation and quarantine are standard infection control practices that have been used successfully for hundreds of years,” DeWine said. “These practices are the same practices that are used for many other communicable diseases including measles and mumps.”

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.