Governor Mike DeWine's News Conference recap 4/1/2020
*Today’s numbers: 2,547 confirmed cases (up 348 from yesterday), 222 ICU patients (up 24 from yesterday), 679 hospitalized (up 94 from yesterday), 65 deaths (up 10 from day prior)
* New Order signed by Dr. Acton: turning around testing time: Hospitals that send to a third-party are now required to send to another hospital that is doing testing to ensure quicker turn around times. There is plenty of capacity at these hospitals. Also, we will start using new tests as soon as we receive them (likely within the week).
*New Order Signed by Gov. DeWine: Asking lenders and landlords to pause payments for 90 days. This would avoid mass foreclosure and would (likely) extend loans by 90 days (payments added to the back of the loan). Doing this could also benefit renters.
From Gov. DeWine:
-State is divided into 8 regions by the health department (this is not a new thing).
-ONG is being deployed to the 3 big Cs to help build out and plan for the surge. Hospitals have these plans mostly- they’ll be discussing new locations for healthcare options like convention centers, dorms, etc. We need to increase capacity.
-Ohio Manufacturing Association – asking manufacturers help out and produce PPE (any that we need!) please go to Repurposingprject.com to see a full list of what you can provide and create.
-SNAP recipients now able to use grocery-pick up where available. This is to reduce people in the store.
-Ohio has received a FEMA Disaster declaration. This will have the federal government pick up 75% of some of Ohio’s costs for COVID-19.
-New Order being signed tomorrow (no info until then).
-Hobby Lobby has reopened (in some parts of Ohio) as an “essential business” but every business has to follow the laws. Any un-essential opened business could be shut down by their local health department.
From Dr. Acton:
-Numbers above.
-This will not be a flip of a switch and things go back to normal. It will be a transition.
Lt. Gov. Husted:
-Contact you mortgage company or landlord and have discussions regarding payment arrangements. If you are able to pay, you should pay. These orders are to help those who have been economically impacted by the Covid-19 crisis.