COLUMBUS – As a new wave of coronavirus cases sweeps across Europe and the United States, Gov. Mike DeWine announced some welcome relief for the state businesses in the form of a $5 billion refund from the Bureau of Workers Compensation fund.
DeWine and the head of the state’s insurance fund for injured workers Wednesday announced the BWC board of directors would be asked to approve the record payout. It is the third, and by far the largest, dividend requested this year, DeWine said.
“Our economy is coming back but many of our businesses – businessmen and women – continue to struggle. Another, even larger, dividend that I’m asking for today will help so many businesses stay open, keep them operating, pump money directly into the economy,” DeWine said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
The announcement follows returns of nearly $3 billion in dividends announced earlier this year. The State Controlling Board earlier this month approved spending $419.5 million in federal funds to help small businesses, non-profits and colleges.
DeWine says the average restaurant could see a check of around $13,000 and the average farmer a check of about $9,500 from the workers’ comp refund.
The City of Columbus will receive the most money: $64 million.
The BWC board will vote on the proposal at 8:30 a.m. Monday.
Columbus bars and restaurants got more good news Wednesday when the city announced that its outdoor seating pilot program was being extended through November.
The program, announced in August, allows restaurants and bars to use rights-of-way for temporary outdoor on-street dining areas or to expand seating into their parking lots.
Nearly two dozen restaurants are currently participating in the program and new applications are still being accepted.
Temporary outdoor seating areas must comply with the requirements of the program and with state and local health requirements intended to slow or prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
Under the rules of the program, tents are allowed in parking areas, but must be open on two sides for ventilation, and combustible heaters are not permitted inside.
The state reported a ninth straight day of over 2,000 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19. The 2,509 new cases brings the total number of Ohioans diagnosed with the disease since the onset of the pandemic to 205,347 with 5,256 deaths. An additional 173 hospitalizations brings the total to 18,606 with 1,579 people currently being treated in hospitals.
A new wave of lockdowns and business closings swept across the US and Europe yesterday as surging coronavirus infections are wiping out months of progress.
The virus has killed more than 227,000 in the U.S. and 250,000 people in Europe, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
The long-feared surge is blamed in part on growing disregard for social distancing and mask-wearing, as well as the onset of cold weather, which is forcing people indoors, where the virus can spread more easily.