COVID-19 Update: Face Coverings April 28, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Governor DeWine announced today that the state of Ohio will not require that customers entering retail establishments wear face coverings. Wearing face coverings in public is still, however, strongly recommended. “As Governor, it is my responsibility to make the tough decisions, but it is also my [...]
COVID-19 Update: Praise for Governor DeWine’s Responsible RestartOhio Plan April 27, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Business organizations across Ohio praised Governor DeWine's Responsible RestartOhio plan, which will restart Ohio's economy during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. OHIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, OHIO COUNCIL OF RETAIL MERCHANTS, NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES OHIO CHAPTER, OHIO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, OHIO [...]
COVID-19 Update: Foster Care April 24, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Governor DeWine announced today that the state will cover the costs to keep more than 200 youth who are aging out of foster care in the foster care system until the COVID-19 pandemic ends. “For many of these young people, their future looks uncertain because of [...]
COVID-19 Update: Contact Tracing April 24, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—The increased testing capacity in Ohio will also allow for enhanced contact exposure tracing throughout the state. “Voluntary contact exposure tracing is one of the strongest weapons we have to help keep our families, our friends, and ourselves healthy,” said Governor DeWine. “For several weeks, we [...]
COVID-19 Update: Reagent and Testing Swabs April 24, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Reagent: Governor DeWine announced that members of the newly formed Testing Strike Team, led by former Governors Celeste and Taft, have reached an agreement with Thermo Fisher, a company that makes reagent, that will substantially expand COVID-19 testing capacity in Ohio. “This is an [...]
COVID-19 Update: How Environmental Changes Impact Health Risk April 23, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)— During today's regular COVID-19 update, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted invited Mark Weir, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Environmental Health at The Ohio State University, to discuss how health risks change as changes are made to the environment. [...]
Six Organizations Receive Funding to Respond to COVID-19 Crisis April 23, 2020 Nelsonville, OH – The Appalachian Ohio Emergency Response Fund’s second round of grants supports nonprofits that are working to provide basic necessities to ensure the health and safety of Appalachian Ohio’s most vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis. Through this round of funding, [...]
COVID-19 Update: Mental Health CareLine April 22, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS) announced the launch of a new mental health COVID CareLine for Ohioans. Trained staff will be available to provide emotional assistance to anyone struggling with mental health concerns due to the ongoing stress of the [...]
COVID-19 Update: Elective Surgery Order April 22, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Dr. Acton today announced an order that directs healthcare providers in hospitals and outpatient surgery centers to reassess procedures and surgeries that were postponed. On March 17, Dr. Acton issued an order postponing elective surgeries to conserve critical personal protective equipment (PPE) and to [...]
COVID-19 Update: BWC Dividend Checks April 21, 2020 (COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Less than two weeks ago, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation board of directors approved to send up to $1.6 billion in dividends to Ohio employers. Today, Governor DeWine announced that a total of more than 170,000 checks will be mailed over the next five [...]
