COVID-19 Alert - May 12, 2020
By the Numbers:
216,290 individuals tested
25,250 total cases, 3,947of which are health care workers
1,436 deaths
4,539 hospitalizations, 1,232 of which are in the intensive care unit
88 counties with at least one case
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/home/dashboard
Approval of Ohio’s EBT Pandemic Plan:
Governor DeWine announced that Ohio received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Ohio’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Pandemic Plan to provide an additional $300 to 850,000 Ohio students who qualify for free or reduced meals during the school year.
The benefit will be mailed directly to eligible students, and families do not need to apply for the additional money. The extra benefits total more than $250M that will be spent with grocery stores and other retailers.
Ohio’s Plan for Congregate Care Environments:
Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran provided an update on the state’s efforts to assist nursing homes, assisted living providers, and other congregate care facilities during the COVID-19 crisis. Director Corcoran stated that a team of 15 people from the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Aging (DOA), and other state agencies have been working since the middle of March to address the issues specifically impacting Ohioans living in congregate settings.
In Ohio, 70,000 individuals reside in nursing homes and 42,000 reside in assisted living environments.
Director Corcoran explained that one of the most important components of the plan to assist congregate care facilities was the coordination with hospitals. The Governor asked the hospitals to create hospital zones and work together with other providers in the zone. Building on that infrastructure, nursing homes were assigned to a hospital to assist in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Local collaboration is the foundation of the state’s plan with particular aspects and tools, which include:
Significant regulatory relief such as expanding and improving telehealth;
Clinical protocols and training to assist with identifying COVID-19 symptoms and response; and,
A tool-kit, with guidance on issues such as personal protective equipment (PPE), that will be revised and updated with best practices and updates from the CDC.
Director Corcoran announced a more aggressive testing plan for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other congregate settings in an effort to stop the virus, and surge resources such as PPE and staff, when needed. “Infectious control strike teams” are dispatched to outbreaks to assist the staff and medical teams.
Some nursing homes across Ohio have agreed to serve as a “health care isolation center” where individuals can quarantine after being released from the hospital and before returning to their nursing home or assisted living facility.
Director Corcoran also announced that the Post-Acute Regional Rapid Testing (PARRT) Program is a regional testing program that provides resources for testing as well as technical assistance on how to handle a COVID-19 situation.
Re-Opening of Additional Ohio Businesses:
Lt. Governor Husted reminded us that on May 15th restaurants may open for outdoor dining and personal service providers can open under the established protocols.
The previous re-opening order issued by the Governor did not include massage services, tattoo parlors or piecing businesses because those industries are regulated by different state agencies than other personal service providers. However, protocols have been developed and those service providers are now also permitted to re-open on May 15th so long as the established protocols are in place.
See attached re-opening protocols for Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Cosmetic Therapy Reopening and re-opening protocols for Hair Salons, Day Spas, Nail Salons, Barbershops Tanning Facilities, Tattoo Services and Body Piercings.
Lt. Governor Husted also announced that the workgroups for travel and casionos/racinos continue to work to develop protocols and should be released soon. Also, announcements are coming soon related to the re-opening of fairs, gyms and fitness centers, sports and other outdoor recreations.
The Lt. Governor said that the dates for permitted openings and requirements and protocols required by the state are the floor, and that if a local health department or a mayor want to extend the closings or make the requirements and protocols more stringent, they are permitted to do so.
Governor DeWine said that summer activities such as swimming pools will be discussed during the press conference on Thursday. Also, he is not ready to make recommendations about summer travel but will get information out shortly.
Dr. Acton Update:
ODH Director, Dr. Amy Acton, announced that 16% of COVID-19 cases in Ohio are individuals living in a nursing home. Of all the cases reported in nursing homes, 225, or 22% have died.
Dr. Acton encouraged nursing homes to be very transparent and talk with families and residents when there is an outbreak. Nursing homes should not be ashamed to have a COVID-19 case as this is a highly contagious virus.
Both Dr. Acton and Director Corcoran re-iterated that if a nursing home has an outbreak, it is not a reflection on the facility, or the services provided by that facility.
Staying Connected Program for Ohio’s Older Adults:
ODA Director McElroy announced the launch of the ODA’s Staying Connected check-in program for older Ohioans. The purpose of the program is to add comfort to older adults who are isolated and not as connected to friends and families as they may be normally. The program is not only for individuals in nursing homes, but available to any older Ohioan.
Participants can also be connected with someone in the community who can provide the participant with needed information or other services, such as a meal.