Coronavirus Pandemic: Gov. DeWine releases phase 1 of state reopening plan

Gov. Mike DeWine shared some details about the state’s plan to reopen part of the economy beginning May 1. He held fast to his promise by unveiling the plan Monday.

“We are here because of what you’ve done,” DeWine said. “We got the job done.”

The following announcements were made during DeWine’s 2 p.m. coronavirus briefing:

• The state is working to have an estimated 1,750 workers needed to conduct contact tracing by June 1. This will include public health, volunteers and hired workers.
• Protocols for any business include: required face coverings, daily health assessments, hand washing, social distancing, clean and sanitize workplaces throughout day and between shifts. Businesses will be allowed a maximum of 50 percent of the fire code capacity and appointments if possible.
• On May 1, all health procedures that can be done that do not require an overnight stay in a hospital can resume. Dentist and Veterinarians can resume normal operations.
• On May 4, manufacturing, distribution, general offices and construction will be permitted to reopen. Six feet must be between each employee. If that can’t be accomplished, install barriers.
• On May 12, consumer retail and services will be allowed to reopen. All employees and customers should wear facing coverings while in the businesses. This will include every retail outlet.
• The stay-at-home order and mass gathering ban of more than 10 people will remain in place.
• Restaurants and hair salons were not included in the announcements to reopen made today by DeWine. “We’re going to get those online as quickly as we can,” he said.
• Schools and daycares also were not included in the announcements of places that could reopen. “It’s very hard to control the environment in daycare/schools. I understand what parents are going through, but we have to start with what is easiest to control,” DeWine said.

Public Health -- Dayton & Montgomery County held its briefing Monday afternoon on the county’s response to the virus.

Here are the highlights:

• “The stay at home order is still in place,” Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said to city and county residents. “If you don’t need to go somewhere, don’t go. It also means no big gatherings.”
• Don’t be afraid to reschedule medical procedures now allowed under DeWine’s new order on reopening the state. Hospitals are safe, said Sarah Hackenbracht, president/CEO, Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association.

Here’s what you need to know today:

DeWine shared positive news that Ohio will be able to substantially expand testing because of its agreement with Thermo Fisher about a newly approved reagent.

He also shared that ROE Dental Lab, based in the Cleveland area, will manufacture up to 1 million swabs to support the state’s testing efforts.

With the “Ohio solution” testing product manufacturing in place, Ohio’s capability will be at least 7,200 tests per day beginning April 29 and that number will go to 15,000 by May 6; 18,800 by May 13; and 22,000 by May 27.

DeWine is also encouraging Ohioans to participate in a “virtual Spirit Week” beginning Monday.

Former Govs. Bob Taft and Richard Celeste are leading a task force whose mission is to secure items to make expanded testing a reality.

As of Monday, afternoon, there are 16,325 cases in the state, 753 deaths, and 3,232 hospitalizations, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

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

The state’s long-term care facilities have seen 11 percent of the total cases in Ohio.

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Of the state’s positive cases, 25% are from Ohio’s prisons. At those prisons, there has been an increase in testing.

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

There have been 119,391 people tested for coronavirus in Ohio. In the state, 2,652 cases are health care workers, which is 16 percent of the cases.

It is important to note the number of confirmed cases is not a true reflection of actual cases in the state because of the limited amount of testing available. The hope is that the number of cases will be more accurate because of the expansion of the testing standards.

The state remains under an extended stay-at-home order until May 1.

Other things you need to know, Monday:

• ELECTIONS: Ohioans are in the final two days of being able to cast their ballots
• FOSTER CARE: The state will cover the costs for teens scheduled to age out of the foster care system to stay in care until the pandemic ends. This option also is available for the people in Bridges, the state’s foster care to age 21 program. People turning 21 over the next few months can stay in Bridges to help them maintain housing, jobs, and education.
• CONTACT TRACING: DeWine said expanding testing is going to enable us to stand up a very robust contact exposure tracing ability. “Contact exposure tracing is one of the strongest weapons we help keep our families, our friends, and ourselves healthy – all done in a voluntary way, where we can take some control back over this disease,” he said. Partners in Health, a Massachusetts-based company, will bring in the needed resources to the state to help increase the state’s ability to trace contact exposure to the virus. The state is projected to hire more than 1,700 people to assist with this part of the reopening plan.
• The Logan County Health District is critical of DeWine’s plan to reopen the state
• FDA issues warnings on anti-viral drugs President Trump had touted as being effective against COVID-19
• Coronavirus Live Updates: Read the latest on the pandemic

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