COVID-19 Update: from the office of the Governor
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton, MD, MPH, provided an update on the number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio and discussed how the state will develop its plan to reopen the economy.
“Ohioans have done a great job, a phenomenal job, fighting back, staying home, ensuring physical distancing. We’ve been doing all the things that needed to be done. I’ve never been prouder to be an Ohioan and I’m very grateful for what you have done. You have flattened the curve,” said Governor Mike DeWine.
Beginning May 1st, the state will begin a phased-in reopening of the state economy. The plan will be fact-driven over a long period of time to minimize the health risk to business owners, employees, and their customers. In consultation with Dr. Acton, Lt. Governor Jon Husted will lead the governor’s board of economic advisors to identify best practices, similar to the current requirements on essential business operations to ensure Ohioans health and safety as businesses begin the process of reopening.
REGIONAL COALITION
Governor DeWine also announced he will work closely with the Governors of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, and Kentucky to reopen the region’s economy in a coordinated way. The states will review four factors as they reopen their economies: the number of cases in the state and the number of hospital admissions, the amount of hospital capacity, the ability to test and trace cases of COVID-19, and best practices for social distancing in businesses.
CURRENT OHIO DATA:
There are 8,414 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 389 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 2,331 people have been hospitalized, including 707 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language closed captioning, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page.
For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
Ohio governor says some businesses may reopen after May 1
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Some Ohio businesses could begin reopening after May 1 as long as proper precautions are taken amid the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday as he provided the first concrete timeline for a return to normal conditions after weeks of uncertainty, fear and economic hardship.
The Republican governor cautioned that the thaw in the state’s stay-at-home order would be gradual and would be marked by many of the elements that have become part of Ohioans’ routines, including social distancing, the cleaning of surfaces, frequent hand-washing and mask wearing.
Ohio has reported more than 8,400 COVID-19 cases and 389 deaths since announcing the first three cases March 9.
DeWine announced the possible reopening timeline during his daily news briefing, then interrupted his own press conference several minutes later to tamp down expectations as the news tore across social media. He said the plan won’t work if people, whether as workers or consumers, are afraid to venture out.
“We want to do it a way that engenders confidence in the people of the state of Ohio,” DeWine said.
He cautioned that mass gatherings, from concerts to sporting events to county fairs, would be “tougher” and might not happen until the end of the reopening process. DeWine has previously said life won’t be completely back to normal until a vaccine is available, which could still be a year away.
The governor didn’t address schools, which remain closed through May 2, but promised: “We’ll be dealing with schools shortly, probably early next week.”
Calls have been growing to reopen parts of the Ohio economy, including from hospitals who want the ban on elective surgeries lifted, and lawmakers in rural areas that have seen few coronavirus cases or deaths.
Protesters have picketed the Ohio Statehouse during DeWine’s news conferences demanding that the state reopen immediately. And even as DeWine discussed a May 1 reopening, a Columbus bridal shop sued state Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, saying Acton’s shuttering of nonessential employers is leading to “decimation of their businesses, livelihoods, and economic security.”
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce welcomed DeWine’s announcement. Though the COVID-19 crisis isn’t over, “businesses are ready to get back to work, and knowing that May 1 is the target date for this happening will allow them sufficient time to prepare to reopen safely and successfully,” said chamber CEO Andrew Doehrel.
DeWine said he understands the importance of getting the economy moving again, but Ohio must be careful to avoid problems such as future COVID-19 spikes after society has reopened. The state will keep a close eye on supplies of personal protective equipment like gowns, masks and face shields, and also on testing, the governor said.
“If we don’t do it right, the consequences are horrendous,” the governor said.
DeWine also said he’s working with the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin to reopen the region in coordinated fashion.
A look at other coronavirus-related developments Thursday in Ohio:
ECONOMY
The state reported 158,678 unemployment compensation claims for the week ending April 11 for a total of 855,197 over the past four weeks. That is significantly above the combined 715,512 claims filed in the previous two years, according to the human services agency.
The state has paid a record $227 million to more than 271,000 individuals who filed for unemployment in the past four weeks.
Nationally, a record 22 million people have sought jobless benefits, including 5.2 million new claims reported Thursday.
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HOSPITALS
The percentage of beds available in Ohio hospitals is unchanged since before the coronavirus pandemic began, and so far facilities set aside to take extra patients are going unused, hospital officials said.
The cancellation of elective surgeries, Ohio’s stay-at-home order and adherence to social distancing practices have allowed hospital systems in the state to avoid the surges in coronavirus patients that have overwhelmed hospitals in other states, officials said.
Ohio hospital bed use in the last four weeks has remained steady at between 50% and 60%, which is the average in normal times, said John Palmer, a spokesman for the Ohio Hospital Association.
In Cleveland, just over half of University Hospitals’ 1,800 beds were occupied earlier this week, with 58% of intensive care beds in use, said Dr. William Brien, the system’s chief medical officer and chief quality officer. Officials planned for a surge in coronavirus cases of as much as 300% of the system’s bed capacity, he said.
Brien said he is cautiously optimistic as COVID-19 infections in the state appear to have plateaued.
Hospital systems throughout Ohio made plans together to create hospital capacity in facilities such as convention centers and university field houses that have not been needed thus far. In Cleveland, University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth Medical Center worked closely together in anticipation of a surge in coronavirus cases, Brien said.
“We were prepared, and maybe had a little luck going for us, too,” Brien said.
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CASES
To date, Ohio has confirmed more than 8,400 cases and 389 deaths, according to new federal guidelines that allow cases and deaths considered “probable” COVID-19 infections without a positive test.
The pandemic has caused more than 2,300 hospitalizations in Ohio, with more than 700 people needing treatment in intensive care units.
Health care workers account for 20% of the overall cases in the state. Nursing homes have reported more than 800 cases, or about one in 10.
The virus has infected more than 150 state prison employees and more than 270 inmates, and killed one guard and three inmates. Six inmates have died at a federal prison in Elkton in eastern Ohio.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in a couple of weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
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Mark Gillispie reported from Cleveland.
7 Midwest states to partner on reopening the economy
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast.
The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky.
“We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protects families from the spread of COVID-19,” the governors said in a statement an hour before President Donald Trump outlined to governors a phased approach to restoring normal commerce and services if there is strong testing and a decrease in cases. “Our No. 1 priority when analyzing when (is) best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens.”
The Midwestern alliance joins pacts on the West Coast and in the Northeast that were announced this week. All together, the 17 states covered by the partnerships are home to nearly half of the country’s population.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, whose early and aggressive response to the virus has received wide bipartisan praise, was named in the joint news release. But his spokesman said that as of Thursday, DeWine had not joined any formal compacts or agreements. DeWine, who said some Ohio business could begin reopening after May 1 as long as proper precautions are taken, said he has been in constant conversation with the governors of all of Ohio’s bordering states.
“I can’t speak for what the other governors are going to do, and I won’t, but we are all in a lot of contact and I think it’s good for the people of our respective states that we’re sharing ideas,” he said.
“Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region,” said the governors, who include five Democrats — Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Wisconsin’s Tony Evers, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, Minnesota’s Tim Walz, Kentucky’s Andy Beshear — and two Republicans, DeWine and Eric Holcomb of Indiana. They stressed it does not mean every state will take the same steps at the same time.
“Close coordination will ensure we get this right,” said Evers, who on Thursday extended Wisconsin’s stay-at-home order until May 26.
Holcomb, who could announce Friday whether he will extend or modify Indiana’s stay-home order that is scheduled to end early next week, described the pact as a way of making sure that all of the state leaders know about the actions the others are taking.
“We’re all thinking about that smart restart, opening of our states in a very gradual, methodical way if the numbers continue to hold and the trends continue to hold,” he said.
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Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Tom Davies in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
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Check out more of the AP’s coronavirus coverage at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak