COVID-19 Alert - April 28, 2020

By the Numbers:

• 122,706 individuals tested

• 16,769 total cases, 2,720 of which are health care workers

• 799 deaths

• 3,340 hospitalizations, 1,004 of which are in the intensive care unit

• All 88 counties have confirmed cases

• Ages range from less than one year old to 106 years of age, with a median age range of 51

• State of Ohio COVID-19 dashboard:https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards/overview

Masks No Longer Required but Recommended in Re-Opening:

• In response to concerns expressed over the last 24 hours, Governor DeWine announced that there will no longer be a mandatory mask requirement in Ohio’s re-opening protocols. He indicated that the initial requirement came as a recommendation from the business community, however he realizes it is offensive to some Ohioans and declared it is now “strongly recommended” and not mandatory.

• He clarified “we aren't mandating that customers wear masks in retail locations, but business owners can require it. The recommendation that masks be worn came from business owners to protect employees. They can make a decision that those coming in the door need to wear a protective covering.”

• He continually emphasized that wearing a mask is a best practice and believes many businesses will still require it on their own, regardless of whether there is a government mandate. 

Continue to Work from Home, if Possible:

• Ohio Department of Health Director, Dr. Amy Acton, reiterated to Ohioans, and employers, that if it is possible to continue to work from home, they should do so.

• The Governor further explained that although some office environments are lower risk, he encourages those who can work at home to continue staying home because he would hate to see us having to go backwards.

Creation of Restaurant and Beauty Salon Advisory Groups:

• Governor DeWine said that throughout his time as Governor, and previously as Attorney General, he has found it extremely useful and productive to pull together Ohio citizens to look at a problem and develop solutions on tough issues. As a result, in conjunction with legislative leaders, he created two additional workgroups to look at how to safely re-open:

  • Restaurants; and,

  • Barber shops and salons.

• Yet this week, legislative leaders and relevant business associations will ask their members to come up with ideas for individuals to serve on the two advisory groups who will soon begin to meet virtually. 

CDC Updates COVID-19 Symptoms:

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally modified the COVID-19 symptoms to include: chills, shaking (even without a fever), muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and loss of taste and smell. 

Schedule Wellness Visits:

• Although the threat of coronavirus remains, Dr. Acton stated that you should continue to take your children to their well-child visits. Canceling these visits could increase your child’s risk for measles, whooping cough & other life-threatening illnesses.

Flush Water and Be Mindful of Air Circulation:

• Dr. Acton noted that as we begin to re-open, pay particular attention to buildings that have had little to no water usage by flushing the water that has been stagnant in cold- and hot-water distribution lines and fixtures. She indicated that low water usage can contribute to bacterial growth, including Legionella which can cause a serious type of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease, or unsafe levels of metals in the water like lead and copper.

• In addition, air circulation is important because the virus can live in the air. As a best practice, you should consider replacing your air filter with a thick filter and not re-circulate the air inside your home or office building.

Unemployment Benefits Totaling $1.3 B:

• Lt. Governor Husted said that nearly 460,000 Ohioans have been paid unemployment compensation benefits since March 15, 2020, totaling over $1.3 billion.

• There are 1,657 employees answering calls and processing unemployment compensation claims, and just yesterday – those employees fielded 54,000 calls with an average wait time of 23 minutes.

Primary Election Ends Today:

• Secretary of State Frank LaRose reminded Ohioans that tonight at 7:30 PM the poll for the primary election close.  Although this was not what was originally envisioned, he is proud of the way Ohioans have stepped up to the occasion. 

• He explained that over 1.5 M ballots have been returned and people are still lining up in their cars to drop ballots off at secured drop boxes at each county board of election.