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Updated: 6:11 p.m., Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Two more coronavirus deaths in Ohio brought the statewide total to 10 as the number of confirmed cases across the state climbed to 704 Wednesday.

"It's getting a little more close now as we have more numbers," said Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton.

Of the confirmed COVID-19 infections, 116 are healthcare workers, Acton said, though it’s unknown if those workers came into contact with the virus on the job or earlier in the pandemic, before real understanding of the need to take precautions became widespread.

“Before you interact with anyone, before you go to an emergency room, if you can, call first,” Acton recommended.

With personal protective equipment (PPE) in short supply, healthcare workers are turning to any available resource for more hospital gowns, gloves, face shields and particularly N95 respiratory face masks.

“We did get our share from the Strategic National Stockpile, but it is not enough,” said Gov. Mike DeWine, adding that Ohio’s technical schools, training programs and even nail salons are being asked to donate whatever PPE they can spare.

Cuyahoga County is struggling to acquire needed protective gear for first responders and other employees who must enter private homes as part of their work, County Executive Armond Budish said in his daily briefing Monday.

“I have authorized as much money as needed to get those PPE and we will distribute it if we get it,” Budish said. “We’re competing. It’s international. It's not just local. It’s not just national.”

A little more than 24 hours after the governor’s two-week stay-at-home order went into effect, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said Wednesday the DeWine Administration, ODH and other government offices are still fielding “lots of questions” on what constitutes an essential business in the Buckeye State through the duration of the pandemic.

“We ask you to just simply read the order,” he said “You need to use your own good judgment of the plain reading of that order to make your determination.”

DeWine says he's already taking action Wednesday against a company not following the order. 

"I suspect it will not be the last company where people who clearly cannot function, or not come under the category of essential, are staying in business," DeWine said. "We can't have that."

Husted said it is partially an issue of fairness. 

"We're not trying to crack down on anybody, but it's not fair for one business to do the right thing in one industry sector and another business in that industry sector not to do the right thing," he said.

The state legislature on Wednesday voted to extend absentee voting for the March 17 primary to April 28, but the move doesn't reopen voter registration or reopen the polls for a day of in-person voting.

Husted – formerly Ohio's Secretary of State, the post charged with overseeing elections – a said he hoping for a longer absentee-voting period.

"We will make the best of it," Husted said. "There will be a 30-day window which will be a similar time window of what they would've normally had. [Secretary of State Frank LaRose] is going to try to do some things to supplement to make sure that everybody who wants to cast a ballot does, but there's no doubt we would've hoped for a longer period of time."

Husted has been tasked with handling Ohio’s coronavirus-related business assistance and unemployment claims and said Wednesday the state is beefing up online unemployment services due to continued problems with the site after 400,000 people attempted to log on Tuesday. 

"The team reassures me that they're putting every effort into this that they can," Husted said. "We're working overtime at it, we're bringing every human capability that we have to the technology that's available."

The stay-at-home order is in force until April 6, when state officials are expected to reevaluate the pandemic’s progress in Ohio.

Major League Baseball's Opening Day was scheduled for Thursday, and DeWine had a message of hope for sports fans. 

"Tomorrow, which would've been Opening Day, I'm going to wear my Reds tie and the day after I'm going to wear an Indians tie," DeWine said. "So, things to come: We will play baseball again."

Ohio’s First Lady Fran DeWine made an appearance at the beginning of the briefing, offering insight into the more personal side of the pandemic at the governor’s residence. She showcased homemade masks, saying “these are not what our hospitals need” but they can “help you keep your germs to yourself” and said she’ll be posting a recipe for the black bean soup she and the governor enjoyed Tuesday night. Her homemade chicken and noodles recipe went viral when she posted it on Twitter last week.

"What will our children say?" Fran DeWine asked. "Are they going to say, this is the time that I got to spend so much time with my mom and my dad and we read books together and we cooked together and we just had all sorts of great memories?

"We have to think of this as a time that we have to do extra special things with our kids to make it really good," she said.

During these trying times, ideastream is dedicated to keeping you, the Northeast Ohio community, informed by providing trusted, up-to-date information that you need to know, as it happens.

From special coverage of briefings by the president and governor to information about health resources and opportunities to ask questions of local and national health experts, ideastream is committed to providing you with all the information you need to know about COVID-19, as it happens. Visit www.ideastream.org/coronavirus for the latest.

As of Thursday, the state reported 867 confirmed coronavirus cases — up from 704 the day before — 15 deaths and 223 hospitalizations.

According to the new projections, the anticipated need for N-95 respirator masks is almost 42 times greater than what are available.

Hospitals in Ohio are working on new ways to use medical devices and working on ways to dedicate entire hospitals to coronavirus patients, so other facilities can be used for procedures like giving birth and training surgeons who usually perform elective surgeries in ways to contribute once the COVID-19 surge hits.

“We are inventing things. We are building out hospitals and existing building structures, but we know that we will need more,” said Acton.

A stay-at-home order for Ohio is in effect. Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the closure of all K-12 schools in the state on March 12 and the closure of bars and restaurants on March 15. Without those and other measures taken by the state, the outbreak would have reached its peak by mid-March with close to 40,000 new daily cases, according to OSU’s projections.

“We’re really using the full force of mitigation now,” Acton said. More recommendations will be coming, she added, similar to the federal government’s request that travelers leaving New York City, an outbreak hot-spot, self-quarantine for two weeks.

“I think there will be layers upon layers of subtlety,” Acton said. “But there isn’t anything that we have on the horizon right now.”

Updated: 5:07 p.m., Friday, March 27, 2020

Coronavirus-related deaths in Ohio climbed to 19 and cases jumped by 31 percent, state health officials announced Friday, along with the prediction that there could be as many as 10,000 new cases per day at the peak, which is now expected in mid-May.

Gov. Mike DeWine started his daily coronavirus update by signing the bill passed unanimously by state lawmakers earlier this week which waives school testing requirements this academic year, suspends the one-week waiting period for unemployment compensation, allows people to get joblessness benefits if they are sick or quarantined, moves the state income tax filing deadline to July 15 and extends absentee voting for the March 17 primary to April 28.

The orders he's issued so far are aimed at two goals, DeWine said: to continue social distancing to buy more time and to build up the state’s healthcare system to be ready when the surge comes.

New modeling suggests the state may not hit the peak till mid-May, DeWine said Friday, and experts are telling the governor that Ohio may need to build up two to three times the capacity the healthcare system currently has.

"We have a long way to go, and that’s a stark reality," said DeWine.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton said there could be 6,000 to 10,000 cases of coronavirus per day at the peak, which has now potentially been pushed out to mid-May from May 1. And modeling shows the state's efforts on social distancing are working, she said Ohio is only at about one-third of the hospital capacity that will be needed – even with that "flattened" curve.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) also joined the press conference, via phone, to discuss the package Congress worked out to, among many other things, send about $1,200 to most Americans to help them weather the pandemic. Checks could go out as soon as next week, Portman said.

The bill also would offer new and expanded loans from the Small Business Association, Portman said, with the offer converting from a loan to a grant if the money is used for payroll, rent or other expenses. The money will be offered by 800 U.S. financial institutions, Portman said.

A new way to support Ohio businesses, from restaurants to shops to online events is also now available at ohio.org/supportlocalohio, DeWine said. More than 250 businesses events from across the state are already listed and business owners can create their own listings as well.

When she first heard the local schools were closing out of coronavirus concerns – and most people were rushing out for toilet paper – Cleveland Heights resident Sara Manela headed down to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore East in North Randall.

She bought a small kitchen cabinet for $25. She painted it with exterior paint and added some legs that she drove into the ground on the tree lawn in front of her home on Roanoke Road.

"As it became clear restaurants and other businesses would also close, and neighbors might lose their income, we added some pantry staples to the kid-friendly foods," Manela said.

Once a day, she sends her 13-year-old out to check the stock and give the handle a few swipes with a Clorox wipe. Keeping it full hasn't been too hard, Manela said, and some neighbors have offered her money to buy more supplies. Others have just stocked the pantry with more items on their own.

Manela was already familiar with the Little Free Pantry movement, which she says is an offshoot of the Little Free Library book-sharing idea. She learned about it from friends in Eugene, Ore. who regularly stock little pantries in their neighborhoods. 

“This was pretty easy for me because I found a premade cabinet, and I already have some woodworking tools and paint and screws and so on,” Manela said. “The hardest part was finding a warm enough day to paint it!” 

Other than building the mini-pantry, Manela said her other key role is building neighborhood support for it, though it hasn’t been hard. A neighbor she didn’t know called attention to the pantry on the neighborhood social networking app Nextdoor, where it got a stream of appreciation – and more offers to help keep it filled.

“We could afford to stock it initially, but right now everyone wants to feel like they’re helping each other, so lots of folks have stepped up with offers to donate,” Manela said. “If you can stock it but can’t build it, or vice versa, try to connect with others in your neighborhood who could do the part you can’t. I guarantee if someone can help right now, they will want to help."

Do you know people who are innovating, supporting their community and bringing a little more kindness into the world (from at least 6 ft. away) through COVID-19? Tag us with #coronakind on social media!

Updated: 4:15 a.m., Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The coronavirus has killed 39 people in Ohio and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 1,933, state health officials announced Monday.

The state also said that 475 people are hospitalized, with 163 admitted to the intensive care unit.

As Ohio students begin their third week of an “extended spring break,” Gov. Mike DeWine also announced Monday that Ohio’s K-12 schools will remain closed through May 1. On March 12, DeWine issued the original order that closed schools until April 3.

“We want to take this kind of one chunk at a time, because we don't know exactly where we're going to be, but it's clear that we're not going to be back in the classroom before May 1. And so we want to signal to everybody today you can plan," DeWine said.

Online learning appears to be working in districts, DeWine said, but he admitted some superintendents say they're concerned that their students are going to be further behind because not all districts have the same ability to do distance learning.

The governor added that in-person classes may be canceled for the rest of the year at some point. Last week state lawmakers approved waiving required state testing for this academic year, which could open the door to closing school until the fall.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Columbus-based science and technology company Battelle the green light to sterilize as many as 80,000 used N95 surgical masks, DeWine said.

“This is a major breakthrough for us in Ohio,” DeWine said. “But it’s also something where we’re taking Ohio technology and helping other states.”

A Battelle machine is on the way to New York, and the company plans to help sterilize masks elsewhere in the country as well, the governor said.

Statehouse News Bureau correspondent Karen Kasler contributed to this report.

Updated: 5:19 p.m., Thursday, April 2, 2020

Ohioans will spend at least another four weeks under a stay-at-home order, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday afternoon.

The new order, which goes into effect Monday night as the initial March 22 order expires, includes some changes DeWine said are based on feedback from Ohio’s mayors, police and citizens.

Retail establishments, including grocery stores, will be required to post a maximum number of people admitted to the store at once and enforce it with a strict one-in/one-out policy. As spring finally takes hold in Ohio, retail garden stores can remain open but also need to determine a capacity appropriate for social distancing and enforce it.

“We're not telling them what number to set because every business is configured differently," DeWine said. "We want each of these businesses to set a number, post a number. Everybody in the store knows the number and then if they fill up to that number, then they stop people from coming in.”

Anyone traveling to Ohio from out-of-state is asked to self-quarantine for 14 days under the new order, excluding those who live near state lines and may work or have to travel to another state on a regular basis.

The initial stay-at-home order, part of the effort to contain the coronavirus, was set to expire April 6. The new order signed by Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, extends the precautions to May 1.

Ohio had 2,902 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of early Thursday morning and 81 deaths, Acton said, with 28 percent of the cases requiring hospitalization and 9 percent of patients in intensive care.

“We will continue to have to stay at home. We will continue to do what we have to do,” DeWine said.

The new order also creates a “dispute resolution panel” for businesses that are similar but are concerned they are being treated differently in different counties or municipalities. Deliberations will be conducted remotely and decisions from the panel are final, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.

While DeWine said he did not want to discourage anyone from getting married during this time, receptions for weddings and funerals still must follow the rule of a maximum number of 10 people at a gathering.

State parks remain open, though campgrounds will close under the new order.

“We are not closing state parks,” DeWine said. But if people cannot or do not observe social distancing, parks could be closed on a case-by-case basis.

“A state park that is configured in such a way with the trails that what they're seeing out there is people are coming in contact with each other or coming close to each other and they really can't be separated, then the director certainly has the option to take whatever action she needs to take,” DeWine said.

Other updates in the new order include:

•           A clarification to close campgrounds with an exception for situations where a camper or recreational vehicle in a campground serves as a permanent residence and they are unable to secure safe alternative housing.

•           The requirement that public swimming pools and swimming pools at private clubs or housing complexes close to prevent transmission of COVID-19. This does not apply to private residential pools.

•           The closure of day camps for children.

•           The prohibition of organized youth and adult sports.

•           The clarification that fishing is permitted as long as proper social distancing is practiced.

DeWine said he has been advised by Acton that the peak for infections and hospitalizations in Ohio is now expected “somewhere between April 15 and May 15” and that the range of dates remains fluid.

DeWine also continued the call for more personal protective equipment (PPE) as hospitals prepare for the expected surge in hospitalizations. During Wednesday’s briefing, DeWine appealed to Ohio manufacturers willing to retool their operations to help produce PPE. He unveiled a website for those who think they can help to get in contact with his administration.

“We have had as of this morning… over 600 businesses that went online to see if they could be of help,” DeWine said Thursday.

The governor is also creating an economic advisory board to get a jump on Ohio’s recovery process. Frank Sullivan CEO of RPM International Inc., a Medina-based maker of sealants and coatings, will lead the group.

“Just as we have looked to experts to help us move through this crisis, we’re also looking to experts as we move forward, as we will come out of this and as we focus on our economic recovery,” DeWine said.

As expected, Ohio's unemployment statistics continue to climb along with the rest of the country.

“In the last two weeks we've added 468,414 people to the unemployment rolls as a result of coronavirus,” Husted said. “To put that in perspective, all of 2019 we had 364,603 people.”

The state's Department of Job and Family Services Director Kim Hall is hiring fast, Husted said, in an effort to speed claims along as much as possible.

“She's added 300 new employees as of today to the call center to help with that system and just told me right before I came in here that they expect to add 1,000 by the end of next week,” Husted said.

But the statewide order of a 90-day pause on foreclosures does not excuse people from paying their rent or mortgages, Husted said.

“You need to work that out, the terms of that, you need to work that out with the financial institution or your landlord,” Husted said. “It is not a license to not comply with the terms of those arrangements. You need to make new arrangements.”

An earlier version of this story listed March 23 as the date of the initial stay-at-home order. That order was signed by Dr. Amy Acton on March 22. ideastream regrets the error.

ideastream's Glenn Forbes contributed to this report.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials will provide their latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic for April 8, 2020. The press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m., but the actual start has often been later due to fast-changing circumstances.

Our priority is to provide trustworthy, up-to-date coverage that Northeast Ohioans can rely on, including stories that follow up on the daily press conference. As the pandemic continues, ideastream will share live briefings from DeWine online and on our broadcast channels, WVIZ/PBS, 90.3 WCPN and The Ohio Channel.

During these trying times, ideastream is dedicated to keeping you, the Northeast Ohio community, informed by providing trusted, up-to-date information that you need to know, as it happens.

From special coverage of briefings by the president and governor to information about health resources and opportunities to ask questions of local and national health experts, ideastream is committed to providing you with all the information you need to know about COVID-19, as it happens. Visit www.ideastream.org/coronavirus for the latest.

This special coverage is made possible thanks to the support of our members. We're here for you, and we're here because of you​.

Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials will provide their latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic for April 8, 2020. The press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m., but the actual start has often been later due to fast-changing circumstances.

Our priority is to provide trustworthy, up-to-date coverage that Northeast Ohioans can rely on, including stories that follow up on the daily press conference. As the pandemic continues, ideastream will share live briefings from DeWine online and on our broadcast channels, WVIZ/PBS, 90.3 WCPN and The Ohio Channel.

During these trying times, ideastream is dedicated to keeping you, the Northeast Ohio community, informed by providing trusted, up-to-date information that you need to know, as it happens.

From special coverage of briefings by the president and governor to information about health resources and opportunities to ask questions of local and national health experts, ideastream is committed to providing you with all the information you need to know about COVID-19, as it happens. Visit ideastream's Coronavirus coverage page for the latest.

This special coverage is made possible thanks to the support of our members. We're here for you, and we're here because of you​.

Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials will provide their latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic for April 8, 2020. The press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m., but the actual start has often been later due to fast-changing circumstances.

Our priority is to provide trustworthy, up-to-date coverage that Northeast Ohioans can rely on, including stories that follow up on the daily press conference. As the pandemic continues, ideastream will share live briefings from DeWine online and on our broadcast channels, WVIZ/PBS, 90.3 WCPN and The Ohio Channel.

During these trying times, ideastream is dedicated to keeping you, the Northeast Ohio community, informed by providing trusted, up-to-date information that you need to know, as it happens.

From special coverage of briefings by the president and governor to information about health resources and opportunities to ask questions of local and national health experts, ideastream is committed to providing you with all the information you need to know about COVID-19, as it happens. Visit ideastream's Coronavirus coverage page for the latest.

This special coverage is made possible thanks to the support of our members. We're here for you, and we're here because of you​.

Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials will provide their latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic for April 8, 2020. The press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m., but the actual start has often been later due to fast-changing circumstances.

Our priority is to provide trustworthy, up-to-date coverage that Northeast Ohioans can rely on, including stories that follow up on the daily press conference. As the pandemic continues, ideastream will share live briefings from DeWine online and on our broadcast channels, WVIZ/PBS, 90.3 WCPN and The Ohio Channel.

During these trying times, ideastream is dedicated to keeping you, the Northeast Ohio community, informed by providing trusted, up-to-date information that you need to know, as it happens.

From special coverage of briefings by the president and governor to information about health resources and opportunities to ask questions of local and national health experts, ideastream is committed to providing you with all the information you need to know about COVID-19, as it happens. Visit ideastream's Coronavirus coverage page for the latest.

This special coverage is made possible thanks to the support of our members. We're here for you, and we're here because of you​.