COVID-19 Alert - December 10

By the Numbers:

• Individuals Tested: 6,502,024

• 88 counties with at least one case

• Ages range from less than one year old to 109 years of age, with a median age of 42

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

• Total Cases: 531,850 (33,130 of which are health care workers)

• Case Increase in Last 24-Hour Period: 11,738

• 21 Day Reported Case Average: 9,773

• Total Deaths: 7,298

• Deaths Reported in Last 24-Hour Period: 111

• 21 Day Reported Death Average: 67

• Total Hospitalizations: 31,142 (5,090 of which are in the intensive care unit)

• Hospitalization Increase in last 24-Hour Period: 452

• 21 Day Reported Hospitalizations Average: 361

Stay Safe Ohio Protocol:

• Governor DeWine today unveiled the new Stay Safe Ohio Protocol. The protocol was developed in partnership with medical professionals across the state to inform Ohioans how to safely live with the virus.

Curfew Extension: 

• The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) will be extending the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. statewide curfew until January 2, 2021.

• The curfew does not apply to those going to and from work, those who have an emergency, or those who need medical care. The curfew is not intended to stop anyone from getting groceries or going to the pharmacy. Picking up carry-out or a drive-thru meal and ordering for delivery will be permitted, but serving food and drink within an establishment must cease at 10 p.m.

• The decision to extend the curfew was made with input from the medical and business communities with consideration to the economic impact and health care system.

• The extended order can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Health Advisory System:

• New health data compiled by ODH showed sustained severe exposure and spread (Purple Level 4) in Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark and Summit counties. Ashland and Guernsey counties were moved to the Watch List.

• Noble, Harrison and Washington counties moved to Red Level 3 for the first time since implementation of the Advisory System in April.

Travel Advisory:

• According to this week's ODH travel advisory, this is the first week since April where Ohio’s positivity for COVID-19 has increased above 15%.

• The travel advisory encourages all Ohioans to help to limit the spread and impact of this virus by staying home except for necessary trips for supplies. The advisory also urges Ohioans to consistently wear masks when around others and frequently wash their hands.

• ODH requests that anyone who must travel to any other state with a positivity rate of 15% or more self-quarantine for 14 days upon return. ODH also asks any non-Ohioans entering the state from one of these areas to do the same.

Sports Variance:

• ODH will issue a variance to the curfew for specific sporting events in Ohio. The start times of these games are dictated by national television contracts, and as a result, the games would not be finished until after the 10 p.m. curfew.

• More information will be available at coronavirus.ohio.gov in the coming days.

Dine Safe:

• Lt. Governor Husted encouraged Ohioans to do what they can to support local restaurants during this time, whether it’s by carrying out a meal at least once a week or by ordering delivery. He also recommended giving out restaurant gift cards as gifts for family and friends this holiday season.

Economic Development:

• As another update in Ohio’s economic recovery, the Lt. Governor discussed two new projects that are putting Ohio on the map as far as innovation in transportation technology.

• Agility Prime:

  • Earlier today, the Lt. Governor joined officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton Development Coalition, JobsOhio, City of Springfield, BETA Technologies, and Joby Aviation to participate in a virtual groundbreaking event for a new advanced urban air mobility technology simulator facility at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.

  • The Air Force recently launched the program, which seeks to accelerate the commercial market for advanced air mobility aircraft and create a robust domestic industry and supply chain to support their development and production.

• Waymo:

  • Last week, Waymo – one of the world leaders in autonomous driving technology – announced their plan to develop new proprietary features at TRC’s SMARTCenter to help them advance their Waymo Driver self-driving system and driverless Class 8 truck. This is a big win for Ohio as it’s the first time Waymo has established a permanent presence at a third-party test site.

  • The Lt. Governor underscored what these announcements mean to Ohio’s recovery and how they attract investment, new technologies and workforce development.

Foodbanks:

• First Lady Fran DeWine encouraged Ohioans to consider donating to The Ohio Association of Foodbanks, which serves all 88 counties. The Ohio National Guard has assisted foodbanks throughout the state this year in distributing more than 79 million pounds of food.

• More information about how to donate can be found at OhioFoodbanks.org/Coronavirus.