04/13/2020

COVID-19: Gov. DeWine Releases Latest Figures

April 13, 2020

This is the update from today’s press conference with Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Dr. Amy Acton. As of April 13, 2020, in Ohio, there are  6,881 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 94 probable cases for a total of 6,975 total cases. Additionally, there are 2,033 hospitalizations and 268 confirmed deaths, with six probable deaths for a total of 274 total deaths. Lastly, there have been 613 ICU admissions. More data is available on the state's COVID-19 dashboard, which can be accessed here.

DeWine has asked the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to issue an order that requires long-term care facilities to notify residents and families within 24 hours of a resident or staff member becoming infected. The state will be providing a list of long-term care facilities where an associated individual has tested positive on the Ohio.Gov website as information becomes available.

DeWine also announced that in-person sales of liquor in Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana, Jefferson and Belmont Counties will be restricted only to Ohioans after instances of persons from Pennsylvania coming into these counties for the sole purpose of purchasing liquor. From this point forward, individuals in those counties must present a valid Ohio photo ID or a valid military photo ID. The sale of liquor to a person with a valid non-Ohio photo ID may only occur with additional information showing that the person resides in Ohio, including mail with the person’s name and Ohio address on it or a letter from an employer placing the person as an essential Ohio employee.

On Friday, the governor signed an executive order to provide nearly $5 million in emergency funding from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant to support Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and the statewide hunger relief network. Of this funding, $1 million is earmarked for the Agricultural Clearance Program, where the Ohio Association of Food Banks will purchase Ohio-made commodities, such as milk, to distribute to foodbanks across the state. An additional $1 million has been granted to the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio to help homeless shelters purchase needed cleaning supplies and provide homelessness prevention and housing services. 

The Ohio National Guard will begin providing assistance at the Pickaway Correctional Institution, as a number of medical staff are out sick due to COVID-19. The Ohio National Guard will provide triage support, take temperatures, and help with non-COVID cases. Additionally, an inmate at the Pickaway Correctional Institution has sadly passed away. That inmate had a long-term chronic illness and tested positive for COVID-19. This is this first death of a state inmate who has tested positive for the virus.

DeWine cautioned companies in Ohio that are purchasing rapid antibody tests to ensure that they are purchasing tests that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Without the FDA Emergency Use Authorization approval, there is no way to know if the tests are valid. To date, the FDA has granted 30 Emergency Use Authorizations of commercially available diagnostic tests, including one antibody test to be used in hospital laboratories.

Husted announced there are over 40,000 job postings on the JobSearch.Ohio.Gov website from 642 unique companies. Individuals or employers affected by COVID-19 are encouraged to visit the website and apply for a position or post their job opportunities.