COLUMBUS – Monday is the day when Gov. Mike DeWine promised to unveil his plan for reopening the state’s economy, which has been virtually shut down since mid-March to control the spread of the coronavirus.
We've been working all weekend on #Ohio's path forward to restart. More details soon. #InThisTogetherOhio pic.twitter.com/iowsQ0fiYb
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) April 26, 2020
While offering no details last week, he repeatedly said he wanted to open non-essential businesses and other workplaces slowly and steadily beginning Friday to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19.
“We’re going to start with those things where we have the best ability to be able to protect people,” DeWine said at his April 24 Statehouse news briefing.
Ohio health officials have reported a total of 728 confirmed and probable deaths associated with the coronavirus in the state.
DeWine and other health officials have been telling Ohioans that precautions that have become familiar during the pandemic – wearing masks, frequent hand-washing, social distancing and others – will be a part of life for the foreseeable future.
“All of that we should expect, not just for May and June as we sort of do the slow reopening that the governor and [health director Dr. Amy Acton] have spoken about, but for months to come,” said Dr. Jason Orcena, Union County Health Commissioner.
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A third COTA employee has tested positive for COVID-19, a Transportation Services Supervisor who manages daily operations and occasionally comes in contact with the public.
The employee last reported to work on April 20, transit authority officials said.
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DeWine announced a plan to significantly boost daily testing in Ohio.
An agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, a company that makes reagent, and a plan for ROE Dental Laboratory in Cleveland to manufacture up to 1 million testing swabs will mean the state can perform as many as 22,000 tests per day by the end of May.
DeWine says this will allow a dramatic increase of testing in places like nursing homes and homeless shelters and permit Ohio to determine that workers in essential manufacturing facilities and grocery employees “are healthy and not spreading the disease.”