COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine says all staff members in the state’s hard-hit nursing homes will be tested for the coronavirus.
New ➡ We will begin the testing of all residents and staff members of the state’s developmental centers. This is an important effort to try to limit the spread of COVID-19 in congregate care settings.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 26, 2020
He said the testing by 14 teams of National Guard members will begin this week.
“To save the most lives, you clearly have to go and focus on where people are dying and they’re dying in our nursing homes,” he said during his televised coronavirus update from the Statehouse Tuesday.
Health Department data shows that seven of every 10 coronavirus deaths in Ohio are among nursing home residents.
As of May 20, 1,246 residents of Ohio’s long-term care facilities have died from the virus, according to one report.
The state on Wednesday reported 2,044 fatalities among the 33,439 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio.
The governor said testing will also be done on residents who are most likely to have been exposed.
DeWine said this kind of widespread testing wasn’t possible because the testing capacity hadn’t been available.
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In an effort to give students a break from screen time while they are learning remotely, Columbus City Schools is teaming up with OSU’s LiFEsports Initiative and the Lindy Infante Foundation to provide “Sports in a Bag.”
More than 1,000 kits will be distributed Wednesday at the district’s 15 “grab-and-go” food distribution sites, where students and parents can pick up free breakfasts and lunches.
Each “Sports in a Bag” will include a jump rope, activity cones, and either a soccer ball, football, or basketball and a guide with games that foster creative problem solving and critical thinking
The kits were made possible by a donation from local financial firm Burdros, Ruhlin & Roe. Dick’s Sporting Goods also contributed equipment at reduced costs.
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Democratic lawmakers at the Statehouse have introduced a package of legislation to protect workers who are faced with losing their unemployment benefits if they refuse to return to work under what they feel are unsafe conditions.
The proposal, led by Representatives David Leland and Kristin Boggs, both from Columbus and Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) would make COVID-19 an occupational disease for first responders and others working outside the home during the declared emergency, including workers in nursing homes, residential care facilities and health care facilities.
Other bills in the package would expand unemployment compensation and paid sick leave coverage, granting benefits to frontline workers who contract COVID-19 on the job.
The Worker Protection Act would ensure that workers who are immunocompromised, are over 65, or who live with someone in those high-risk groups; or, who work in environments where employers have failed to follow safety guidelines, can choose not to return to work outside of their home without losing access to unemployment benefits.
“No person should have to choose between their life and their livelihood,” said Rep. Leland. “As we carefully open up, we need to ensure Ohioans can protect themselves and their loved ones.”
The bill extends similar protections to people who will have difficulty returning to work because closures have impacted their ability to find childcare and anyone experiencing symptoms who are in the process of seeking a COVID-19 diagnosis.