Coronavirus Pandemic: What you need to know Tuesday

The Dayton and Cincinnati region continue to receive focused attention in the plan to restart Ohio because of confirmed increases in hospital admissions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gov. Mike DeWine, at his news briefing Monday, said last week was the first increase in hospital admissions because of COVID-19 in the last month. Last week, 500 to 550 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 and this week the state is up to 650 hospital admissions, with Dayton being one of the regions seeing an increase, he said, noting there is still adequate hospital capacity in Ohio despite these increases.

DeWine said the positive rate for COVID-19 in Ohio continues to hover around 4 to 6 percent.

Meantime, tests in Xenia and Dayton are being processed as quickly as possible, health officials said. Those waiting for updates on tests in Greene County can call 937-708-3403. For those awaiting test results in Montgomery County, call 937-681-2091.

DeWine did not threaten to implement another restrictive health order if the number of cases continues to increase. Instead he promoted mask usage and voluntary efforts.

“We are going to determine our future. One thing that we have learned through this virus is what we do now is going to determine where we are in two weeks, three weeks, four weeks. Now’s the time to get serious about it,” he said.

DeWine also extended an executive order prohibiting large gatherings that was set to expire Wednesday. He said a new order will be coming soon.

“These plans will take us into the next phase, a distinct and different phase of continuing to keep Ohio open as we head into the second half of 2020,” the governor said.

Details on this new phase are anticipated to be released Thursday.

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Some things you should know today, Tuesday:

• Beginning July 20, nursing homes will be permitted to have outdoor visitations, as long as all safety standards are met. DeWine said nursing homes should consider the status of cases in their communities and in the nursing home, staffing levels, access to testing for residents and staff, PPE supplies and hospital capacity when deciding to reopen for outdoor visits.
• The University of Dayton has canceled Game 1 of the 2020 football season because of concerns driven by the virus
• Miami County Public Health recorded one new death since June 26, said officials, who also confirmed the bulk of recent hospital admissions is among people ages 20 to 29. So far in June, Miami County has seen the number of cases for this age group more than double. While persons in this age group may have less severe symptoms, they still have the ability to spread the virus to others and those more vulnerable. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the county is 431, with 57 hospitalizations and 31 deaths, as of Monday, officials said.
• The 2020 Dayton Blues Festival has been canceled. No reschedule date is anticipated, city officials said
• Dayton Public Schools will require temperature checks and facial coverings as part of the full safety protocol plan for the 2020-21 academic year. Classes are scheduled to begin Monday, Aug. 17.
• Fewer umpires will be calling balls and strikes this summer and fall because of COVID-19

LATEST STATE DATA: As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been at least 51,789 confirmed or probable cases in the state, 2,863 deaths, and 7,839 hospitalizations, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Ohio has an estimated population of approximately 11.7 million, census records show.

Of the state’s positive cases, 10% are from Ohio’s prisons. At those prisons, there has been an increase in testing.

[ Local cases, deaths reported to Ohio Department of Health ]

The state reported that a total of 784,362 people have been tested in Ohio

In the state, 7,086 cases are health care workers, which is 14 percent of the cases.

Some other things you should know today:

• Amazon is offering $500 bonuses to some workers because of demand driven by pandemic
• Is the number of confirmed cases increasing in your county?
• Cirque du Suleil files for bankruptcy: Blame COVID-19
• AMC Theaters push back reopening date nationwide because of COVID

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