This afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Dr. Amy Acton held their daily press briefing. They announced that, in Ohio, there are 5,512 confirmed cases, 497 ICU admissions, 1,612 hospitalizations and 213 deaths as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
DeWine announced that, via the Ohio Manufacturing Alliance, 19 manufacturers have partnered with three hospital groups to begin large scale production of face shields for Ohio. Over the next five weeks, 750,000 to 1 million face shields will be added to the Ohio Department of Health stockpile. The face shield production is part of Ohio’s unique strategy to buy PPE when it is available, make PPE when it cannot be purchased and use technology and innovation to identify ways to make Ohio's PPE supplies last.
Meanwhile, Husted announced that The Christ Hospital Lindner Research Center in Cincinnati has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin treating high-risk COVID-19 patients with convalescent plasma. This treatment protocol is the only protocol that incorporates a readily available, rapid turnaround (less than 1 hour) blood test that reflects risk of dying and can identify patients before it’s too late.
Ohioans who are finding it difficult to access reliable internet service from home can utilize Ohio’s public libraries. Many libraries have wi-fi available, which can be accessed from the parking lot.
The Ohio Department of Health sat down with Anthony Armstrong, M.D., MPH, FACOG, president of the Ohio State Medical Association, to discuss COVID-19 and minority health. Armstrong has shared his expertise on this important topic, which you can access by selecting this link.
For the week ending April 4, 2020, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported 226,007 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Department of Labor, which is the second straight week that more than 200,000 new claims were filed by Ohioans. The number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last three weeks stands at 696,519. Pursuant to a Department of Labor order, Ohio will release unemployment numbers on a weekly basis as soon as the national report is released on Thursday.