Coronavirus Live Update Team Emphasizes Social Distancing And Other Key Measures To Flatten Curve
The second week of the statewide shutdown commenced with Governor Mike DeWine presenting Ohioans with another daily update on the CoVid-19 pandemic. The March 30th update issued from the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, OH recognized two profound days, the National Vietnam War Veterans Day and National Doctors Day.
Since the emphasis on social-distancing had become a prime topic, the update began with the governor introducing a video compilation of a group of young, female basketball players passing around a basketball, virtually. These junior athletes belonged to Pickaway and Fairfield counties in Ohio.
Next, Gov. DeWine highlighted the Federal Food and Drug Administration for approving the sterilization technology by Battelle Memorial Institute, in an effort to increase mask-sterilization. He further previewed the assembly of a special team of businesswomen and men that were integrated into the small business community. The goal for such a team would be for them to advise the governor and his office regarding future planning as well as endeavors to assist Ohio’s economy when the time were to arrive.
“Lt. Gov. and I think that it is very important as we look to the future and look to when we’re gonna come out of this and how we come out of this that we have a group of businessmen and women who reflect ohio…” said Gov. DeWine.
The governor also included the team’s assistance with advising small businesses that are still operating on following lockdown guidelines, enforcing social distancing, and on the path forward.
The counsel would also comprise scientific personnel and doctors for medical decisions.
Another important matter that Gov. DeWine covered next was the non-english speaking population and the efforts made at addressing their concerns during times of crisis.
“We intend to continue to do more because it’s important that every ohioan get all the information that we have in regard to the coronavirus,” said Gov. DeWine, introducing the multilingual options available in Spanish, Chinese and Somali on the website, coronavirus.ohio.gov. The translations would cover the executive summary, a chemical abstract and top tips, including closed-captioning in the chosen language and future translation available in Arabic.
After a brief shoutout to the Ohio commissioners for Hispanic and Latino affairs, Gov. DeWine proceeded to the issue of hospital-testing in Ohio. He requested that the public send in their test samples to neighboring hospitals or the Ohio Department of Health instead of a private lab, to generate quicker results. The results would be provided as a free service, in a 24-hour time frame by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
The governor accentuated the need for social distancing with a focus on the race against time in building hospital capacity as well as for further influx of technology to regulate the pandemic.
An additional order was rolled out by Gov. DeWine that would be signed by Dr. Amy Acton, Director of Ohio Department of Health, to extend the shutdown of K-12 schools until May 1st. The governor stated that this deadline would be re-evaluated as the date drew closer.
A list of shoutouts expressing gratitude were rolled out by the governor to administrators, teachers, parents and students. “This is a problem not of our making but a problem you have stepped up to and are doing a great job, so thank you very, very much for that great work.”
Gov. DeWine underlined the program implementing prison inmates in producing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). The capacity of 500 hospital gowns would increase to 44,000 once additional material was delivered.
Inmates would also make cough masks, similar to surgical masks, at a capacity of 5000 a day, up to a total of 2 million with the raw materials to be delivered by April 14th followed by 1400 gallons of hand sanitizer. Each prison would supplement their own workshop to produce materials for its respective prison members.
The homeless population was brought up due to the heightened concerns with social distancing with the inclusion of persons with disabilities, and severe and persistent mental illnesses living in group homes as well as recovery houses. The governor spotlighted the communities working towards spreading out the homeless population across shelters as well as alternate locations to increase social distancing as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, while urging other communities to do the same.
Major General John C. Harris, Jr., working in the emergency center in Columbus re-emphasized the increase in medical capacity once the crisis would begin to surge and the efforts made at resolution. These efforts included the possibility of leasing required facilities or utilizing state facilities that were going unused during the crisis. Additional efforts would include service members liaising with regional personnel and the Ohio Department of Health in communities to ensure the right regions met the proper requirements, significant to that region.
“Every person is a participant in this, your actions, your individual actions are critical to ensuring that we continue to flatten the curve…because the actions that we take now will determine how tough the fight is for the frontline personnel,” said Major Harris.
Lt. Governor Husted brought up concerns with the commercial lending market, encouraging financial institutions to work alongside small businesses on deferring payments to ensure that these businesses did not lose their property.
Furthermore, the Lt. Governor also reminded the population of the extended deadline of April 28th for voting using an absentee ballot for the primary election.
Dr. Amy Acton reiterated official data with an updated total number of cases in Ohio including those tested positive and hospitalized as well as total deaths. She echoed the governor’s earlier request for sending in test samples to local hospitals or ODH to receive results in a span of 8 hours versus waiting 5-6 days for private labs.
Dr. Acton further explained the data projection showcasing a peak in the number of mitigated cases of around 10,000 forecasted for mid-April, alliterating the importance of flattening the curve. She concluded her speech with an acknowledgment of her friends and colleagues as well as the honor she felt wearing her white coat in light of National Doctors Day.
“”I have the honor of wearing this white coat, which I know has become a little bit iconic but it became very clear to me that I’m wearing a symbol of all my friends and colleagues and you have family members who are out on the frontlines,” said Dr. Acton.
The update culminated with a video parody of various young children around Ohio thanking Dr. Acton as well as reenacting Dr. Acton from her live updates, regarding her as their role model.
“I’m thinking about you a lot more than I can express because i have spent many years on the front lines and sometimes feel frustrated that i can’t just come in there and work alongside of you in doing this bigger picture planning. But this white coat, it represents all of you.” said Dr. Acton
