Leader Sykes statement as Ohio surpasses one million COVID-19 cases

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement as the state reported Monday that it had surpassed one million total cases of coronavirus. The one-millionth case comes just days after the anniversary of the state’s first coronavirus death.

“In just over a year, more than 18,000 Ohioans have died, and now, more than one million have been infected by this virus. This unthinkable milestone is a sobering reminder of the tremendous toll this virus has taken on so many families. But let this, too, be a reminder of the courage of our healthcare and frontline workers, and all those who’ve sacrificed in the fight to save countless lives. With the threat of variants and rising case numbers, our fight isn’t over, and I encourage every Ohioan to continue masking up and signing up to get a vaccine when eligible so we can get this virus under control and save more lives.”