COVID-19 Alert - October 20

By the Numbers:

• Individuals Tested:  3,968,634

• 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 41

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

• Total Cases: 185,639 (19,013 of which are health care workers)

• Case Increase in Last 24-Hour Period: 2,015

• 21 Day Reported Case Average: 1,559

• Total Deaths:  5.083

• Deaths Reported in Last 24-Hour Period: 8

• 21 Day Reported Death Average: 14

• Total Hospitalizations: 17,388 (3,597 of which are in the intensive care unit)

• Hospitalization Increase in last 24-Hour Period: 216

• 21 Day Reported Hospitalizations Average: 94

Record-Breaking Hospitalizations:

• Governor DeWine announced that hospitals across Ohio are currently treating 1,221 COVID-19 patients, which is the most hospitalized patients at one time since the start of the pandemic. A total of 216 of these hospitalizations were reported in the past 24 hours - the highest number of hospitalizations reported in a single day and more than 50 hospitalizations more than the previous high in mid-July. 

• Ohio is also recording an increase in ICU admissions and ventilator utilization. 

CARES Funding Proposals:

• Governor DeWine indicated that he will soon present news regarding programs that will use CARES Act funding to address the needs of struggling Ohioans, including funding for rent, mortgages, and water and sewer utility bills, as well as funding for small businesses and nonprofits.

White House Coronavirus Task Force Recommends Limiting Social Gatherings:

• The White House Coronavirus Task Force sends reports to states every week to provide a broad picture of how states compare one another in the region and nationally. A recent report notes Ohio’s increase in cases initiated by social friends and family gatherings.

• The Task Force strongly recommends that Ohioans limit friend and family get-togethers to prevent situations where the virus can rapidly spread and reach those most at risk of complications.

• Governor DeWine also urged caution for sports fans who gather this weekend to watch the Ohio State, Browns, and Bengals football games.

$1.3 Billion Going to Ohio Businesses:

• Dividend checks from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) will be mailed to employers beginning this week.  The dividend amount totals approximately $1.3 Billion.

• The money is being given back to employers in response to Governor DeWine's request in August that the Ohio BWC Board of Directors approve a second dividend to provide financial support for public and private employers impacted by the ongoing pandemic.

• These checks will be mailed to employers throughout the end of October. 

• A wide-ranging program to address the needs of struggling Ohioans, including funding for rent, mortgages, and water and sewer utility bills, as well as funding for small businesses and nonprofits, will be announced in the near future.

High School Sports Update:

• Lt. Governor Jon Husted provided an update from the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) on the status of high school fall sports.

• OHSAA observers have attended 458 sites, including 600 football games, at least 50 volleyball matches, and at least 50 soccer matches over the course of eight weeks.

• OHSAA provides reports to the schools following the competitions to serve as an educational opportunity for the school to improve.

Long-Term Care Facility Dashboard:

• Ohio's new long-term care facility dashboard is now available at coronavirus.ohio.gov. The new dashboard outlines visitation information at nursing facilities across the state. Those with loved ones in a nursing facility can search for information by county or facility to find information on the types of visits that are offered and when they are permitted. Nursing facilities were permitted to allow indoor visitations beginning October 12. 

• Details regarding the visitation guidelines for Ohio’s intermediate care facilities can be found in a public health order issued on September 24. Visitation at intermediate care facilities was permitted to resume on September 28.

Vaccine Provider Registration:

• Ohio has submitted its Interim Draft COVID-19 Vaccine Plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The plan is a framework on how Ohio will proceed once a vaccine is available. The plan will be available tomorrow at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

• The Ohio Department of Health will also be launching a new registration tool for health care providers who would like to eventually administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Providers, such as local health departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and nursing facilities, will be notified soon with instructions about how they can register.

Changes to Test Result Reporting:

• The Ohio Department of Health has developed a technology solution to allow their systems to track negative test results. In response, Interim Director of Health Lance Himes today amended a directive that now requires all labs to start sharing all positive, negative, inconclusive, and invalid test results related to COVID-19 tests with the Ohio Department of Health.

• Previously, labs were reporting positive COVID-19 results at the individual level and as an aggregate count for all other test results.  

Governor Says to Get a Flu Shot:

• Governor DeWine once again urged Ohio citizens to get their flu shots this year.  A person can become infected with both the flu virus and coronavirus at the same time.

• If you become ill this season, many healthcare providers will test for both flu and COVID-19 to get a proper diagnosis. While the symptoms can be similar, COVID-19 is more serious, its symptoms last longer, those hospitalized tend to have longer hospital stays, and the virus has a higher mortality rate.