COVID-19 Alert - April 30, 2020

By the Numbers:

• 133,148 individuals tested

• 18,027 total cases, 2,880 of which are health care workers

• 975 deaths

• 3,533 hospitalizations, 1,035 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 of 51

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

Extension of Current Stay-at-Home Order:

• The current stay-at-home order is set to expire at 11:59 PM tomorrow night.  Governor DeWine announced that he will issue an extension of the current order tomorrow.  The new order will incorporate the protocols for re-opening businesses that were announced earlier this week. 

Responsible RestartOhio Health Care Guide:

• The state released Responsible RestartOhio, A Guide for Health Care,which can be found here: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/responsible/RestartOhio-Health-Care-Guide.pdf.

Ohio Prison Outbreak Update:

• In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ohio’s state prisons, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) Director Annett Chambers-Smith and Dr. Michael Para, infectious disease physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, provided an update on the cases and explained the steps ORDC has taken to keep both staff and prisoners safe.

• Dr. Para praised Director Chambers-Smith’s knowledge of the issue as well as her ability to create and implement a comprehensive infection control plan.

• Director Chambers-Smith explained that ODRC developed a unique pandemic plan for each facility during the H1N1 crisis and ODRC updated that plan earlier this year to address the current COVID-19 outbreak. 

• They began tabletop planning for the virus in January and also started to acquire PPE.  Once it was realized that the amount of PPE needed would be difficult to purchase, ODRC developed plans for prisoners to make face shields, masks, and hand sanitizer.  

• Ohio’s prison system was the second in the nation to stop accepting visitors in the prisons in an effort to keep COVID-19 out of the facilities, or delay it as long as possible so that any spike in the prisons would not coincide with the hospital surge from the public. 

• ODRC took the following steps, early on, to slow the spread of the virus:

  • Stopped moving individuals from prison to prison;

  • Delayed medical procedures;

  • Changed programming and limited the number of inmates participating in the programs;

  • Cohort prisons and staff;

  • Procured cleaning supplies that contain the chemicals the CDC identified as appropriate to kill the coronavirus; and,

  • Evaluated the HVAC systems and changed filters and increased circulation of natural air.

• Beginning on March 11, ODRC started screening staff upon entry into the prison for work.  Also, ODRC continues to modify their intake forms to keep up with the CDC recommendations and changes in the science.

• The Ohio National Guard has been helping with staffing as many of the ODRC staff is out sick.  Also, The Ohio State Highway Patrol is assisting by performing perimeter patrols.

• Director Chambers-Smith explained that ODRC staff have CDC and Ohio Department of Health compliant PPE, which is dispensed to staff as appropriate for the job the staff is performing.  In hot spots, staff have the option to go to a hotel to shower and change clothes before returning home or spend the night at the hotel.

Unemployment Surpasses 1 Million:

• The number of unemployment claims filed in Ohio over the last six weeks has reached 1,057,486, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.