COLUMBUS – The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio nearly tripled overrnight to 13 on Friday, according to the Ohio Departmenty of Health website.
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 here for the latest information from the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ther department reported that test results were pending on 159 persons under investigation.
The cases involved eight men and five women ranging in age from 34 to 66 from six counties, none in the Columbus area. Six of the patients are in Cuyahoga County, two each in Belmont and Stark counties and one each in Butler, Summit and Trumbull counties.
Most people recover from the coronavirus. Click here for more facts
During an emergency meeting Friday afternoon, the Columbus Board of Health declared a local public health emergency, which gives Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts the authority to quarantine individuals and to employ police personnel to enforce the quarantine.
The declaration also allows for officials to mandate medical examinations and treatment and quarantine individuals who refuse exams.
It gives the city the power to control and limit access to public areas and determine evacuation routes, modes of transportation and plans for providing emergency services to avoid “hot spots,” similar to a coronavirus zone in New Rochelle, New York.
Gov. Mike DeWine closes schools, bans large gatherings
President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency to bolster funding for fighting the virus outbreak.
To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus:
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds often with soap and water.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
-Source: Ohio Dept. of Health/CDC
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said he did not plan to declare a local health emergency Friday but did order the Department of Public Utiities to halt water and electricity shutoffs until April 15 so all residents had hot water to wash hands, one of the most effective means of warding off the disease.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved requests from the DeWine administration for two waivers allowing the state to continue school breakfast and lunch programs during Ohio’s three-week school closure.
Schools will be permitted to provide every child under 18 with “grab and go” meals and DeWine says the state Department of Education will develop a process to give school districts the ability to deliver meals to homes.