Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), who took some of the most aggressive actions in the country early in the pandemic, says he agrees with President Donald Trump that people should not let the coronavirus "dominate" their lives. However, DeWine adds that people should be cautious and still take it seriously.
DeWine says Trump's diagnosis of COVID-19 is an example of how even frequent testing is not a substitute for wearing masks and keeping your distance.
DeWine was asked if the state plans to reach out the White House to learn more about Trump's experimental drug treatment, and if it can be replicated for people in Ohio.
"If any of our hospitals needed that information we would certainly make the phone call or do whatever needed to be done. But they are really good and I just can guarantee you that our hospitals are looking at every single possibility to keep people alive, to allow them to recover," says DeWine
But DeWine has said the White House did not reach out to him after Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis or the 11 cases connected to the debate in Cleveland.
DeWine was asked about Trump and his administration's reputation of not wearing masks, "I wish the president would wear the mask more. I wish he'd wear it all the time when he is in public."
The governor also said the state will conduct a study to learn more about the potential exposure of COVID-19 through close contact. DeWine says superintendents are concerned about students missing in-person education because they've been deemed to have close contact with a COVID-19 case and had to go into quarantine.
The study would involve tracking a student's health and frequently testing them. DeWine was asked what he hopes to get out of this study given the CDC has already reached determinations on this issue.
"Getting a study in Ohio, schools that are spread out among different demographics will provide us with more information," says DeWine.
DeWine says the state will not move away from CDC guidelines on close contact unless there's data that shows it's safe to follow different guidance.
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