For more than a month now, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton has been one of the most public faces of the state's response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
But on Friday, Acton took a brief departure from her typically levelheaded and empathetic approach to give an emotional thank you to her husband, Eric.
"It is an honor to do this. It is a long haul. We work -- you don't see behind the scenes, every decision is so hard. They're working tirelessly. Our whole teams that you don't see are," Acton said as she closed her portion of Friday's daily press briefing. "Likewise, if I could just say to my husband at home, Eric, I love you. You've just been so good. To have the support you have makes all the difference my husband's just amazing. Thank you."
As of Friday, Ohio has had 5,878 confirmed coronavirus cases, 1,755 of which have resulted in hospitalization, 548 ICU admissions and 231 deaths. Dating back to the discovery of the state's first positive coronavirus case on March 9, Acton and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine have taken several measures to encourage physical distancing, including a stay-at-home order that is currently in place until at least May 1.