DeWine: Economic Success And Social Distancing Go Hand-In-Hand As Ohio Reopens

Gov. Mike DeWine wanted to make a message clear Monday during a press conference: As the state reopens, the success of the economy depends on Ohioans following social distancing protocols. 

DeWine said he received images of overcrowded bars and restaurants after they were given the okay to reopen for outdoor seating last Friday. 

"I've always tried to be blunt, straightforward, about everything that we are finding," DeWine said. "We try to share with you all the information that we have."

DeWine and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Dr. Amy Acton warned residents there is a risk of COVID-19 cases increasing as the state reopens, but the severity of the risk will depend on whether Ohioans follow safety protocols.

Last week, the state issued guidelines for businesses, such as wearing masks and only allowing a certain number of patrons in the building. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted pointed out that patrons must be seated, a requirement that allows for social distancing and discourages congregate gatherings where the disease can easily spread.

If people neglect the precautions, DeWine said it "jeopardizes our ability to move forward as a state."

"Our economic recovery in the state of Ohio is tied directly to how successful we are in preventing the spread of the coronavirus," DeWine said. "Stopping the spread, interrupting the spread of the coronavirus will determine how successful we are in reopening our economy."

To enforce the state’s social distancing policies as businesses reopen, local law enforcement and health department staffs will work with the Ohio Investigative Unit, part of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, to conduct safety checks. Administrative citations will be issued when violations are found – which could result in revoking liquor licenses or possible criminal charges.

Business owners should close if they can't handle a large influx of patrons, DeWine also advised.

As of Monday afternoon, Ohio has 28,454 total cases of COVID-19 and 1,657 deaths. ODH recently updated its website to include information about the states' two veterans' homes in Sandusky and Georgetown. There have been no cases at the Georgetown facility, DeWine said, but the Sandusky facility has 23 residents and three staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ohio
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Most of the residents and employees at both facilities have been tested, DeWine said. The state also plans to perform mass testing at the Twin Valley Behavioral Health Hospital in Columbus, where one staff member has tested positive.

State Prisons Director Annette Chambers-Smith also confirmed a staff member who worked as a nurse at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections in Orient has passed away from the disease. So far, three Ohio prison workers and 61 incarcerated adults have died from COVID-19.

The state’s prison system is following a new plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the prison and implement mass testing, Chambers-Smith said Monday, including testing people who enter the prison system and quarantining them for 14 days.

“We’re looking for signs and symptoms and treating people," Chambers-Smith said. "We are testing when it is actionable; when someone can be quarantined safely."

About 17 percent of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections has been tested so far, she said. Antibody testing has also been used in three prisons to help detect the spread of the disease.

Marion Correctional Facility was once the center of the outbreak in Ohio, but now it's Belmont Correctional Institution, which has 95 inmates who are currently positive for the disease, that has taken the lead in the state’s cases.

Throughout the state’s prison system, more than 7,600 people have been tested and nearly 4,500 have tested positive.

Details about the Minority Health Strike Force will be unveiled Thursday, DeWine. The group is working to create solutions as COVID-19 disproportionately affects minority groups, particularly African Americans, according to ODH.