COLUMBUS, Ohio — Although Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine doesn’t typically host a COVID-19 press conference on Mondays, he held one at 2 p.m. today.
Here’s a little bit of what was discussed…
NO NEW RESTRICTIONS OR HEALTH ORDERS, BUT CURFEW WILL BE EXTENDED
DeWine hinted late last week at the possibility of taking more action to slow the spread as new COVID-19 infections continue climbing.
“We’re in a very dangerous situation, & I think we can all agree that we can’t let our hospitals get to the point where healthcare is threatened,” Gov. DeWine tweeted Friday afternoon. “The curfew, mask-wearing, retail inspection have helped, but they haven’t helped enough. We’ll have to do more. We don’t have a choice.”
The governor did not issue any additional health orders on this day, but did confirm he would look to extend the state's 10 p.m. curfew, which requires people to stay in their homes unless they have a reason such as work or getting food. More details are expected to be released on the extension later this week.
ANTIGEN TESTING
DeWine confirmed Monday that Ohio will now be including COVID-19 antigen tests in its overall results, going with the CDC's recommendations. There is currently a backlog of such tests in the state, but that should be cleared up tomorrow, resulting in a "one-day spike" in case numbers.
"We have been averaging 12,500 antigen tests per day with more positive results from those tests -- more than 700 a day on average," DeWine said.
HOSPITAL NUMBERS & POSITIVITY RATE
Ohio’s positivity rate topped 16% last week – with health officials saying Cuyahoga County is now nearing 25%. This comes with increasing hospitalization numbers, and DeWine spoke with Youngstown Nurse Lisa Burich about the current situation.
"We need everyone to do their part," Burich said. "It's not only to protect yourself and your family, but it's also to keep healthcare workers healthy so we can continue providing care."
FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF
DeWine says he has spoke with Ohio U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman about the ongoing pandemic relief bill negotiations in Congress. Lawmakers have been at a stalemate for months trying to pass a second package, but the governor is confident something will get done soon, and express his support for a current bipartisan proposal.
"We are now in a very dangerous stage," DeWine said. "The vaccine is coming, but we know it will take a while to work our way through distribution. We desperately need a bill out of Congress."
Watch DeWine's full briefing in the player below:
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