As Ohio begins to prepare for the process of gradually reopening its economy, one of the biggest factors that could affect how quickly the state returns to normalcy is its coronavirus (COVID-19) testing.
And while Ohio Governor Mike DeWine reported on Monday that the state will allow hospitals to once again utilize commercial laboratories, which currently don't possess a backlog of samples, Ohio Department of Health Dr. Amy Acton said that the state is also looking for other ways to increase its testing capabilities. Acton, however, also admitted that every state is also facing the same problem in regards to testing availability.
As of Monday, Ohio has had 12,919 positive coronavirus cases, including 2,653 hospitalizations, 798 ICU admissions and 509 deaths. Dating back to the discovery of Ohio's first positive coronavirus case on March 9, DeWine has put a number of measures in place to encourage physical distancing, including a stay-at-home order since March 23.
Last week, DeWine announced that the state is preparing to begin the process of reopening its economy when the current stay-at-home order expires on May 1.