Editor's note: The video above is from Gov. Mike DeWine's Oct. 28, 2020 press briefing.
As he does each Thursday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will hold a press briefing at 2 p.m. to address the state's response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Oct. 29.
RELATED: More coronavirus coverage from WKYC
What follows are some of the subjects DeWine might address during Thursday's briefing:
Purple?
As he does each Thursday, DeWine will unveil the latest color-coded map of Ohio's Coronavirus Public Health Advisory System. Last week's map was particularly jarring, with 38 of the state's 88 counties -- accounting for 74 percent of Ohio's population -- being labeled as Level 3 "Red," with three counties being placed on the watch list for Level 4 "Purple."
Those three counties -- Cuyahoga County, Clark County and Hamilton County -- will officially be labeled as Level 4 on Thursday if their trends haven't improved since last week. But while Ohio has yet to have a county reach purple since the color coded map was first implemented in July, DeWine said on Wednesday that he wouldn't be issuing any orders yet for any county that might hit Level 4, which denotes severe spread and exposure of the coronavirus.
"We're not going to issue additional orders," DeWine said at a press briefing on Wednesday to announce a $5 billion dividend to help Ohio businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. "It's just one more piece of information. Going into purple is a signal that potentially we have a hospital problem."
Halloween
With the Halloween holiday set for Saturday, there is plenty of concern regarding the effect that an increase in gatherings could have.
And while he's already made it clear that he doesn't thing such gatherings such occur, expect Gov. DeWine to reiterate his stance, as well as guidance for Ohio's 82 high incidence counties.
- Reconsider hosting or attending gatherings of any size
- Cancel events and do not attend Halloween parties
- Wear masks both inside and outside in situations where social distancing is not possible
- Individuals who are not feeling well should stay home
Surging state
Regardless of whether any counties reach "Purple" status on Thursday, it appears clear that Ohio is continuing to trend in the wrong direction. Last week, Ohio repeatedly set new highs for new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, while on Wednesday, the state reported Ohio reported 2,607 new coronavirus cases, 173 new hospitalizations, 19 new ICU admissions and 17 new deaths.
How will Ohio respond and what can it do to reverse its trends with the winter still ahead? Expect that to be a central theme of Gov. DeWine's briefing and the questions he'll receive.
You can watch the entirety of DeWine's most recent briefing in the video player below.
