Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine revealed he will soon issue an order requiring the state's schools to establish a coronavirus (COVID-19) reporting system.
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But while DeWine said at his press briefing on Tuesday that the order isn't ready just yet, he did share the goals that he hopes it accomplishes. According to DeWIne, the order will ensure the following:
- That parents are notified if their kids have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus.
- That parents are notified if someone in their child's building has tested positive for the coronavirus.
- That the public is aware of cases in their local districts.
Last week, DeWine said that the local health department will notify the Ohio Department of Health on a weekly basis about newly reported cases in schools, as well as the cumulative casa data for students/teachers. The data will also be posted every Wednesday at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
“We’ve been discussing this, and I’ve tasked my team with coming up with a consistent state plan,” DeWine said during last Tuesday's coronavirus briefing. “In other words, the way these are reported to the public should be – whether it’s in Belmont County or Huron County or Hamilton County – it should be the same way. So we will have a procedure to outline for you on Thursday. Frankly, I felt it needs to be consistent. … It needs to be reported to the health department, obviously. But it needs to be, also in real time, reported to parents so that parents have an idea what’s going on. And then it needs to be also reported to the news media.”