Health care providers across Ohio and Kentucky have administered more than 150,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to close out the year 2020, but that still leaves hundreds of thousands still waiting in freezers across the two states to go out after the New Year, with many more on the way in 2021.

Officials on both sides of the Ohio River have remained upfront that disbursing the vaccines would be a lengthy and time-consuming process but hope the vaccine will be widely available by summer 2021.

In Hamilton County, where roughly 9,000 of the state's 94,000 doses administered have gone out so far, Greg Kesterman, the health commissioner, said, "I think we have to be fair to the professionals doing the work and realize that we're only in the first couple of weeks."

He added that the timing of Pfizer and Moderna's respective vaccines' arrival has contributed to what some could perceive as a slow start.

"If there were probably two weeks of the year that are the worst weeks to roll a vaccine campaign program out, it would probably be the week of Christmas, with one and a half federal holidays, and the week of New Years, with one federal holiday, because so many agencies are impacted," he said. "That being said, we're happy. We're glad we can start the program."

"Admittedly, it's going to take us a while to get this vaccine to everyone that wants it," said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. "We believe by certainly the summer, that it's going to be widely available, and that means we need your patience, and that's going to be hard."

Roughly 34,000 Kentuckians had received the first round of the two-part vaccination as of Dec. 30, with another 120,000 or so already delivered and waiting to be administered. The rate at which more will arrive in the two states is, in part, out of local leaders' hands.

"The timing is going to depend on the allocations from the federal government, which thus far are just trickling in," Beshear said. "And they're also going to depend on the number of vaccines that are approved and the speed of the manufacturing of them."

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he hopes more manufacturers come forward with more options in the coming months.

"What we think will occur is, it'll go like this (expands his hands): We'll have more opportunities every single week with more of the vaccine coming into the state of Ohio," he said.

Both states first prioritized health care workers actively treating COVID-19 patients at hospitals and convalescent care facilities, like nursing homes, and residents of those facilities. Each governor has identified people over the age of 65 or 70 and people working in schools as among those who will become eligible to receive a vaccination next.

Until more doses arrive, DeWine urged hospitals and care centers to administer the doses within 24 hours of receiving them if possible.

Beshear asked for patience.

"The patience is going to be one of the hardest things that we've done," he said.

CINCINNATI —

The booster roll-out is picking up steam, but many are still unclear about the guidelines determining who is eligible, especially when it comes to defining the “at-risk” occupations.

“For everyone who has a job that puts them at risk, it’s self-attestation. The CDC offers some guidance, but certainly, anyone who feels their job puts them at risk is eligible,” said Hamilton County Health commissioner Greg Kesterman.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines approved by the Ohio Department of Health list certain occupations like healthcare workers, first responders and teachers, but others are left up for interpretation.

“We want people who feel like they need to get vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, to have access to it. So, all of our clinics are asking the questions provided by the Ohio Department of Health and we’re providing access,” Kesterman said.

Some of the guidelines from the CDC are more clear than others.

Anyone who wants a booster must have had both shots of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago.

Anyone over the age of 65 is eligible. Anyone who is aged 18 to 64 with underlying medical conditions is eligible, among others.

The booster program comes as many employers are enforcing vaccine mandates and vaccine approval for kids ages 5 to 11 is expected by the end of October.

Despite that, Kesterman did not expect any problems with vaccine supply.

Between the COVID-19 vaccines' two required doses, the clock is ticking.

Food and Drug Administration guidance indicates the vaccine's second dose should be administered three to four weeks after the initial dose, but Tri-State health officials and experts said there is no guarantee there will be enough supply to meet that timetable for the thousands who have already received their first dose.

"You're going to have a little competition for that seat," said Dr. O'Dell Owens, CEO of Interact for Health.

According to the FDA, an individual is 95% protected from contracting the disease if the Pfizer vaccine's second dose comes 21 days after the first; for the Moderna vaccine, that time period is 28 days. But with demand outpacing supply, clinics aren't giving vaccine recipients guarantees about when they can get the second dose.

Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said there is some wiggle room.

"If you can't get your dose for a week later or even a couple weeks later, it is acceptable still to get your second dose," he told WCPO.

But he also added there is still uncertainty swirling around the vaccine.

"Unfortunately, all of the vaccine that's currently available has not been studied long enough to know all of the ins and outs of how the vaccine works," he said.

For people like Dorothy Darden, who feel hesitant about getting the vaccine, Kesterman said they have options.

"I really want to discuss it with my doctor more before I would even determine that I would to get it," Darden said.

Kesterman said, for now, the county is capable of administering second doses to county taxpayers who might have received their first dose elsewhere, but they have to register to do so.

Researchers expect vaccine supply to spike as soon as next month when a third vaccine, under development by Johnson & Johnson gets approval and begins distribution.

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio —

Rising COVID cases driven by the delta variant are already putting pressure on hospitals as some hit capacity over the weekend.

“We’re seeing, not only our cases rise, we’re seeing our hospitalizations rise as well as intensive care admissions within the region,” said Hamilton County health commissioner Greg Kesterman.

Kesterman said in three weeks, Hamilton County COVID cases went from averaging about 13 a day to averaging 71 a day.

Regional numbers from the Health Collaborative show hospitalizations have jumped in one month from about 40 to more than 130. Now, 40 is the number of people on ventilators in the Southwest Ohio region.

The numbers are lower than they were at the peak of the pandemic, but hospitals are already under stress.

“Over the weekend, a couple of our hospitals hit capacity,” Kesterman said.

“We have a very different starting point going into this surge. It will take less cases to put a strain on the hospitals,” said vice president of clinical strategies for the Health Collaborative Tiffany Mattingly.

Mattingly said last year hospitals stopped elective procedures and other wellness efforts to make space for the oncoming surge. All of those procedures have returned.

“We are definitely at a different stress point than we were last fall,” Mattingly said.

Kesterman said the hospital system has room for more patients, but at any given time, a hospital could hit capacity. If COVID cases continue to rise, expect hospitals to reexamine those elective procedures again.

“I think the hospitals are going to have to evaluate all of those modes of decompression to make sure we have room for all patients who need care,” Mattingly said.

CINCINNATI — Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended wearing masks indoors in areas experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases -- including for those who are fully vaccinated.

In Hamilton County, COVID-19 cases are rising. As of Tuesday, the Hamilton County Public Health Department said nearly 120 people were hospitalized due to the virus. Two weeks ago that number was closer to 40 on any given day.

Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said to follow guidance from the Ohio Department of Health instead of federal leaders.

Mercy Health’s chief clinical officer, Dr Stephen Feagins, said the more contagious delta variant was able to become stronger as it spread among the unvaccinated.

“It is the dominant circulating strain. That was predicted,” Dr. Feagins said.

The CDC said studies show even vaccinated people may be able to spread it. That is why the team recommended Tuesday that people begin masking indoors even though they are fully vaccinated.

“While a break-though case of COVID on a vaccinated individual is still a reportable event, it's rare,” Dr. Feagins said.

Hamilton County Public Health is working to get more people vaccinated.

“We're seeing, in our hospital systems, a lot more 40- and 50-year-olds ending up in the hospital,” Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said. “So, we want to make sure that we're getting the right messaging and the right information to those folks so they can make an informed decision.”

Local health departments had not changed mask recommendations as of Tuesday evening.

NORWOOD, Ohio — Beginning Friday, April 16, Hamilton County Public Health will no longer require appointments for vaccination doses at the Board of Elections clinic site in Norwood.

The clinic is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Vaccines will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis while supplies last. If all doses have been given out before the end of the clinic’s hours, people who do not receive a shot can schedule an appointment within the next week.

“We piloted a no-appointment clinic and it was an overwhelming success,” Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said. “Offering no-appointment clinics should capture some of the folks who have waited to schedule their vaccine. The more people we can get vaccinated, the closer we get to resuming our normal activities for the summer.”

People still wanting to make an appointment to get vaccinated can use the ArmorVax App and those without access to the internet can receive assistance scheduling by dialing 211.

CINCINNATI — Hamilton County health leaders said they have seen "no increases" in COVID-19 cases in the weeks after the launch of the designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) at the Banks.

"Over the last month and a half, we have seen looking countywide, which includes residents in the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County residents as a whole, we have no increases in cases over the last couple months, which is great news," he said.

Earlier this month, Gov. Mike DeWine expressed concern about unmasked people attending crowded events at the Banks possibly spreading COVID-19.

Kesterman, citing CDC guidance, added it is 18 times less likely to spread COVID-19 in an outdoor environment than in an indoor setting. This week, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors around small groups.

Hamilton County recorded 137.99 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people last week, down slightly from 146.3 the week of April 15, according to state health department data. Since the pandemic began last spring, 869 people have died of coronavirus, Hamilton County Public Health reports.

Kesterman said the county has made "significant" strides in its vaccination efforts, and 41% of residents have received at least a first dose.

Health officials encourage everyone -- especially young people -- to get their COVID-19 vaccine in order to get "back to normal" this summer. Since last week, Hamilton County Public Health has run small vaccine clinics in schools.

“Originally, we had a supply problem -- we no longer have a supply problem,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece. "So we're able to have it available at a lot of different locations and in a lot of different ways."

The county is hosting three walk-in clinics at the Hamilton County Board of Elections, Woodlawn Recreation Center and Sharonville Convention Center. For details and times, click here.

Find more vaccine clinics in Hamilton County with this interactive map.

Relief for small businesses, venues available

Hamilton County leaders encouraged small business and venue owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply for financial relief through two federal programs.

Bars, restaurants, caterers, food trucks, breweries and other businesses are eligible for relief through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The program will provide eligible businesses with funding "equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location."

Grant recipients are not required to repay the funding as long it is used for payroll, rent, food and beverage expenses and other eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.

Registration for the application portal begins Friday at 9 a.m., and applications open Monday, May 3 at noon. For more information, click here.

Venues affected by pandemic restrictions can also get relief through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which will provide $16.2 billion in economic help to this industry. Live venue operators and promoters, theatrical producers, live performing arts operators, museums, movie theater operators and others are eligible for this program.

Applications are now open for this grant. Click here to learn more.