With Ohio facing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) during its fight with the coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Mike DeWine has announced the formation of a public-private partnership to help increase the state's supply.
The Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19 will be used to better coordinate efforts to provide health care workers and first responders with the necessary PPE. Major partners already included in the alliance include The Ohio Manufacturers' Association, Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Ohio MEP) and MAGNET and JobsOhio.
DeWine asked that any manufacturers who think they can aid in the production of products to visit RepurposingProject.com to see what the state needs. Some items in demand include swabs, ventilators, goggles and gowns.
As of Wednesday, Ohio has had 2,547 confirmed coronavirus cases, 679 of which have resulted in hospitalization, 222 Intensive Care Unit admissions and 65 deaths. Dating back to the discovery of the state's first positive coronavirus case on March 9, DeWine has taken a number of measures to encourage physical distancing, including issuing a stay-at-home order across the state set to last through at least April 6.