COLUMBUS – Governor Mike DeWine is acknowledging that there are risks to reopening Ohio’s economy following closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the Republican governor told Politico “it’s really a risk no matter what we do.”
“No one is underestimating how difficult this is but it‘s something that we have to do,” he said.
The Ohio Department of Health call center is open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions regarding COVID-19 at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).
Click on the links below for the latest information:
Ohio Department of Health coronavirus website
Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard displays the most recent preliminary data
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine/status/1259153656177291264
DeWine said during his televised Statehouse coronavirus briefing on Thursday that he expected to announce a plan for reopening day care centers but on Monday said the plan was not ready.
Only a limited number of child care centers that are caring for the families of essential workers are currently allowed to be open in Ohio.
DeWine last week acknowledged the risk of reopening too many businesses too quickly but “there’s also a risk if you do nothing,” he said.
“Not very many people think that we can keep this economy totally shut down for a year,” he said.
Most businesses have been closed since mid-March to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes.
Since then, over 1.1 million Ohioans have lost their jobs and DeWine has faced criticism, including from lawmakers in his own party, that he has been too slow to reopen workplaces.
His plan to reopen the economy has also taken fire from those who believe it is too risky to lift restrictions.
“At the same time, we’re still telling [Ohioans] that the virus is still out there, it’s very, very dangerous,” DeWine said.
He still has not said when he might release plans for reopening gyms, movie theaters and other businesses that remain shuttered. He also offered no hints about when large gatherings would be permitted or what might lie ahead for summer activities, including sports, festivals, fairs and camps.
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The state Department of Health on Monday reported 696 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 24,777 with 1,357 deaths.
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Starting Monday, OSU Wexner Medical Center will hand out thousands of community care kits to residents in vulnerable communities in Franklin County that have been disproportionately impacted by coronavirus.
In hopes of curbing the spread of COVID-19, teams will distribute community care kits containing isolation masks, soap, hand sanitizer, dental hygiene supplies, water and educational materials to residents in vulnerable communities that have been disproportionately impacted by coronavirus, such as the Hilltop, Linden and the South Side.
The communities are deemed at greater risk of contracting the disease caused by the novel coronavirus due in part to their socioeconomic status and underlying health conditions.
“As we seek to build healthy communities, we have to focus on factors outside of the health system that impact a person’s health and well-being,” said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for Health Affairs at Ohio State and hospital CEO.
Paz says hospital officials hope to promote social distancing with masks and help slow the spread of the virus.
“Social determinants of health such as multi-generational housing, low-wage essential employment and neighborhood infrastructure make social distancing difficult,” Paz said.
Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified several health conditions, such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes, that put people at greater risk of severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19 and people living in the targets neighborhoods have higher rates of these chronic diseases, Paz said.
The hospital’s Community Care Coach will park at various community partner sites in the 43219, 43211, 43207, 43223 and 43203 zip codes for contactless drive-thru and walk-up distribution.