COLUMBUS, Ohio — This won’t last forever. That was the message from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine during Thursday’s coronavirus press conference.
“We should not live our lives in fear,” he said. “What we should be is what Ohioans have always been, and that is optimistic about the future. We have been a people who have felt that we can control our destiny. We can control the future. What we do in the next 30 days is going to determine if we’re going to be able to do all the things that we want to do.”
He also continued to express the importance of wearing a mask when out in public.
“We don’t have to change everyone’s behavior. We know there will be people out there who will not do that. We understand that. But if we can get 75 to 80 percent of people who are actually out in public -- who are interacting with other people -- to wear a mask, we will beat this thing down. It will make a fundamental difference. It will change the fall. It will change the winter. It will make a difference.”
He said that our daily actions must continue to follow the safety guidelines we've all come to know in this ongoing battle against coronavirus.
“We’re going to get out of this. There is sunlight out there. We are going towards it. We’re going to make it. Frankly, we all want to be there when this thing is over with. We want our loved ones to be there. We want our neighbors and our friends to be there. To do that, we’ve got to make some changes in our lives. We have to live with this virus. We don’t know how long we’re going to have to live with it. We’re going to have to live with it for a while.”
DeWine added that the medical advancements since the COVID-19 pandemic began are also helping get Ohio – and the nation – through this tough time.
“Look what doctors know today. Look at their ability to treat people who are very, very, very sick. They don’t save everybody, we know that, but they’re saving more. If it’s a choice of getting it today or three months ago, you’re better off getting it today. If it’s today versus three months from now, you’re better off three months from now. We are all in this together. We can get through it.”
Watch his full press conference from Thursday, July 9 in the player below:
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