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Updated: 5:45 p.m., Friday, April 3, 2020

Gov. Mike DeWine is recommending 38 Ohio prisoners for early release to minimize the potential spread of the coronavirus.

“Whenever we have a gathering of people during this coronavirus crisis, we worry about it,” DeWine said. “Prisons by their very nature are a gathering of people.”

The recommendations for release will be sent beginning Friday via letter to judges in counties where the 38 prisoners were sentenced, DeWine said Friday during his daily briefing. Judges will be left to determine whether to schedule a hearing or if the prisoners are fit to be released early.

“These are not violent offenders, people who are sex offenders, domestic abusers or murderers,” DeWine said. “These individuals seem to make sense to release early.”

The prisoners recommended for release fall into two groups, DeWine said. Twenty-three are women who are either pregnant or who had a child in prison. The other 15 are men and women age 60 or over within 60 days of their planned release. None have records of major infractions while incarcerated nor warrants for their arrest in another state, the governor said.

“The normal notification to victims and prosecutors will apply to those hearings that the judges will conduct,” DeWine said.

Ohio currently has a total prison population of 48,991.

“No one is saying that [releasing 38 people] is going to open up a lot of space in our prisons,” DeWine said.

But he said that pregnant women in particular were being recommended for release because they require care that brings them into contact with others – leading them to become potential carriers and spreaders of the virus among their fellow inmates.

Additional prisoners may be recommended for release in coming weeks, DeWine said.

DeWine also announced that the Ohio Department of Health and The Ohio State University are partnering to manufacture testing liquid, tubes and swabs in-state, and then send them “in the next several days” to hospitals across Ohio, in an effort to improve COVID-19 detection rates.

“For hospitals around the state lacking these and not able to do tests, help is on the way,” DeWine said.

The governor also said he wants more of the state’s hospitals to join the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth and The Ohio State University Hospital in accepting and analyzing test kits from other places, in order to speed detection of those who are infected.

Ohio had a total of 3,312 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday afternoon – up about 14 percent from Thursday – and 91 deaths, according to Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. Among confirmed cases, 895 people were hospitalized and 288 people were in intensive care.

Acton encouraged Ohioans to continue diligently following the state’s stay-at-home order, which now extends to May 1.

“Every day that we’re doing this social distancing, it’s another day to find more [personal protective equipment] for the frontlines, it’s another day that we don’t overwhelm our hospital systems,” Acton said.

At the same time, she asked people to avoid stigmatizing others who do fall ill as the state reaches peak infection rates, anticipated between April 15 and May 15.

“If someone is sick on your street, in your neighborhood, we needn’t fear each other,” Acton said. “The first question should be, ‘How can we help?’”

Ohio National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Harris provided an update on efforts to build out non-hospital space in existing buildings to care for the expected onslaught of patients.

“The facilities we’re looking at building out are for the less sick patients,” Harris said, with the intent that rooms in hospitals can be reserved for those who are sickest or are members of high-risk groups.

“You may not see trucks full of construction equipment and builders building things,” Harris said. “We’re going to go into a larger facility… maybe assembling partitions, the transportation of beds.”

Amid reports of rising unemployment and layoffs, Lt. Governor Jon Husted said he's heard positive news from business owners regarding federal loans. He encouraged others to contact their lenders to learn more.

As bars, social clubs, and events were shutting down under coronavirus mitigation mandates, Alexis Moten, the woman behind Culture Jock, had an idea.

When she founded the social commentary and pop culture website Culture Jock two years ago in New York City, Moten intended to use authenticity and honesty to counter misogyny and racism in the world of pop culture trends. Since moving operations to Cleveland, the site has organized events large and small.

So while organizing happenings is not new to Moten, creating an online music festival was. In response to the impending crisis posed to artists by COVID-19, she quickly began to put together a virtual music festival to support artists whose income relies on social gatherings.. 

Over three days in March, 17 artists performed for a total of 648 minutes of music on Instagram Live. Culture Jock’s Instagram feed featured a virtual flyer with all performers' Instagram handles, genres and places to send donations or buy merch, but each artist performed from their own page, in an effort to grow their regular audiences and followers. And each encouraged viewers to go to the next performance, on the next artist’s feed – just like encouraging patrons to stick around for the next performer at a neighborhood bar’s live music night.

People continued to comment throughout the performances, tune into multiple artists and donate to the performers, Moten said. Joey, a hip-hop artist in Columbus, had 86 people from around the country listening to his performance.

Social distancing made Moten’s goal of booking 45 artists to fill a long weekend of entertainment uniquely challenging. She originally put up a flyer to see who was interested in performing before reaching out to artists she admired on Instagram, pulling in 36 interested musicians from as far away as Paris and Seattle.

Social distancing whittled that number down, Moten said, with some artists unable to get their entire band together to perform or finding their instruments suddenly locked in a studio they could not access. Problematic internet connections also knocked a few people out of the show.

Ohio musicians featured prominently among the final 17 artists, with Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus represented along with performances from Los Angeles, New York City, New Orleans, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Alexis Moten, Creator of Culture Jock [Michael Thornburg / Thornburg Creative]

Pandemic-related restrictions aren’t easing up any time soon – but neither are Moten and Culture Jock.

Culture Jock is hosting CJTV weekly: Culture Jock Television events to break up people’s day and continue to support their community. The first topic CJTV is taking on? Health, said Moten, with a specific focus on mental, physical and spiritual health during social distancing. The virtual summit, which kicks of next week, will feature three programs a day, including cooking demos, questions answered by medical professionals and live music.

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 and them with #coronakind on social media!

By Adora Namigadde, WOSU

Updated: 12:15 a.m., Sunday, April 5, 2020

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order to expand telehealth in the state on Saturday to help fight the spread of coronavirus.

The order will allow Ohioans to more easily access services with mental health workers including social workers, counselors and marriage counselors. Patients will be able to see such professionals without first having had an in-person consultation. He also waived telehealth training for these providers.

DeWine said during his daily press conference that he spent part of the day working on building capacity at hospitals. The state is increasing the number of hospital beds by cutting down on elective surgeries, having the Ohio National Guard add hospital space, and hospitals creating more rooms on their campuses. DeWine said he'll elaborate on making more hospital beds available next week. 

As of Saturday, April 4 at 2 p.m., there are 3,739 cases and 102 deaths of or due to COVID-19.  

The CDC issued guidance Friday regarding face masks in public. It endorsed cloth face masks as a measure to prevent contracting and spreading the coronavirus.

DeWine said he intends to wear a homemade cloth mask, made by his wife Fran, in public from now on, and he encouraged others to allow masks to become socially acceptable. The state added instructions to its coronavirus website on how to make cloth maks. But Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton warned the masks have their limitations.

“It isn’t going to make you bulletproof," said Acton. "A virus can get through any homemade mask." 

Both DeWine and Acton said the masks are not a substitute for social distancing or the stay-at-home order.

Acton cautioned against using the N95 medical-grade masks that are already in short supply. She said those masks should be donated to local emergency management agencies, who will give them to medical professionals.

Battelle is sterilizing N95 masks for Ohio's hospitals free for a couple of weeks, so DeWine encouraged hospitals to bring their masks to be cleaned. That technology will allow masks to be reused up to 20 times.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said there is a link on the state’s COVID-19 website to help people gain access to hot spots for better internet access.

Statehouse News Bureau correspondent Jo Ingles contributed to this report.

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​.

Governor Mike DeWine and other state officials will provide their latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic for April  6, 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  6, 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​.

Governor Mike DeWine's latest update for April 13, 2020, on the impact of COVID-19 on the State of Ohio. 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. As the pandemic continues, ideastream will share live briefings from Governor 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​.

The White House Coronavirus Briefing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

By Claudia Grisales

The White House and congressional leaders could be nearing an agreement on a new wave of coronavirus relief funding.

Negotiations have been ongoing to replenish popular programs created as part of a $2 trillion response package passed last month.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNN that he's hopeful that a deal could be reached as early as Sunday to replenish a tapped-out small-business loan program and that the deal would include additional funding for hospitals and testing.

The Senate could approve the measure as early as Monday and the House on Tuesday.

"I think we're making a lot of progress," Mnuchin said on Sunday, noting that he has had multiple conversations with Senate and House leadership in recent days. He later added, "I'm hopeful we could get a deal done today."

Mnuchin said the agreement so far would include $300 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, which funds small-business loans during the crisis; that amount is $50 billion more than had initially been proposed by the administration. There's also a top-line agreement to add another $75 billion in emergency funding for hospitals, $50 billion for small-business disaster loans and $25 billion for testing, Mnuchin said.

Also speaking on CNN, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that so far, Democrats are on board but that many details remain to be hammered out to reach a plan that could be approved by both chambers.

Mnuchin didn't mention, during his interview, new aid to states and localities, something that had been a Democratic request. And while Schumer highlighted their areas of agreement so far, he said that state and local funding is needed and that there's still work to do to reach a final agreement.

"We still have a few more issues to deal with," Schumer said on CNN.

Meanwhile, Rep. Dean Phillips, a Minnesota Democrat, tweeted on Sunday that the White House's "refusal to support states and localities must be overcome."

"I'm very hopeful we could come to an agreement tonight or tomorrow morning," Schumer told CNN on Sunday.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Gov. Mike DeWine and other state officials will provide their latest update on the COVID-19 pandemic for April 21, 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​.

By Selena Simmons-Duffin and Alana Wise

President Trump will address the nation on the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, as state leaders and health experts say that testing limitations continue to slow the country's ability to safely re-open the economy.

The White House last week issued guidelines on a three-tiered approach for states to begin easing coronavirus restrictions. But many state officials have said that they do not yet have the capacity to aggressively test for new COVID-19 cases.

Trump has been resistant to states' demands for additional testing help, tweeting on Monday: "States, not the Federal Government, should be doing the Testing - But we will work with the Governors and get it done."

The Monday coronavirus task force briefing comes after a series of tense disagreements between Trump and a number of Democratic governors last week.

Almost immediately after the administration's three-phase plan to ease coronavirus restrictions was released, several governors openly disputed the president's projected timeline on their ability to safely begin lifting stay-at-home orders.

On Friday, Trump engaged in a heated back-and-forth with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the week was capped off with Trump later that day openly expressing support for far-right protesters disobeying state-issued stay-at-home orders.

The administration hopes that this week will bring some bipartisan agreement on additional coronavirus relief funding, possibly including: $300 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program, $75 billion in emergency funding for hospitals, $50 billion for small-business disaster loans and $25 billion for testing.

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Data on Race and COVID-19 Still Weeks Away

The Trump administration is having to backtrack on when it can provide data on the race of COVID-19 patients.

Right now, there's no clear national picture of how the coronavirus is affecting people of different races. Some states are releasing this information, and there's some data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What little data there are is concerning. For one, African Americans represent a third of all deaths from COVID-19, even though they represent only 13% of the national population.

A fuller national picture of how COVID-19 is affecting people of different races was promised by the Trump administration at the press briefing of the White House Coronavirus Task Force on April 7, specifically from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS.

Now, CMS Administrator Verma says those data won't be released until early May. She spoke on a teleconference with reporters on Monday.

Her explanation? COVID-19 only got its own claims code on April 1, and the administration need a month's worth of claims data to provide a meaningful look at the race of COVID patients.

She said that with health care providers — especially those who are currently overwhelmed — there is often a lag between when they treat the patient and when they submit claims. "We are just starting to get that information in," Verma said. "What we saw in the first week wasn't significant enough or we think it would have been misleading to put that data out."

But, she added, "you'll be seeing a comprehensive analysis of our claims data starting in early May, based on the first month of claims data that we do have."

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.