CLEVELAND — In the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic hitting the United States, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine took charge. With the advice of doctors, DeWine opted to close schools, restaurants and bars, eventually putting in place a "stay at home" order closing down all non-essential businesses.
Now, DeWine is getting international recognition because of his early sweeping measures.
On Tuesday evening, BBC News spotlighted DeWine and his efforts in an in-depth feature than can be accessed at bbc.com/news. The BBC brings to light some of the early decisions DeWine made in Ohio in order to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, like shutting down major sporting events before professional leagues decided to implement suspensions and postponements, as well as bars and restaurants and schools:
"His announcements are peppered with 'thank yous' and mild 'just-a-reminders', encouraging continued social distancing. He holds printed notes, shuffling the papers occasionally, staring down at them frequently. He doesn't speak in platitudes, but in detail, taking time to dictate every letter and character in the state's coronavirus web address."
While the coronavirus has certainly made its way into Ohio, the BBC points out that DeWine's early efforts may have prevented huge infection surges like the ones the nation is seeing in New York, Washington and Louisiana. The feature also spotlights DeWine's close working relationship with Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton.
