Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for Thursday, May 28

Below are the updates from yesterday’s press conference with Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Tuesday, June 2^nd.   

Here’s the news from Thursday: 

• Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
• 31,625 confirmed cases
• 2,290 probable cases  
• 33,915 total cases
• 5,811 hospitalizations
• 1,888 confirmed deaths
• 210 probable deaths
• 2,098 total deaths
• 1,516 ICU admissions
• More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE. 

• Governor DeWine announced today that the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy has clarified rules that allow pharmacists to order and administer tests for COVID-19. To help Ohioans find testing locations, a map has been added to coronavirus.ohio.gov that lists COVID-19 testing centers in Ohio. 

• Ohio has utilized COVID-19 testing priorities to manage limited testing capacity.  Under the guidance of clinical experts, Governor DeWine announced that Ohio has modified these groups in light of changes in testing availability and evolving knowledge of COVID-19 and its impact on Ohioans. Testing must be first available to individuals described in Priority Groups 1, 2 and 3, but Ohio is expanding to allow partners and communities to test Ohioans in Priority Group 4 which includes testing “Individuals in the community to decrease community spread, including individuals with symptoms who do not meet any of the above categories.” 

• Governor DeWine announced a plan to lift restrictions on visitation at assisted living homes in Ohio. Beginning June 8, 2020, properly prepared assisted living facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities can begin to allow outdoor visitation. The lifted restriction do not yet apply to nursing homes. 

• Each facility can determine how to best implement outdoor visitations, however, at a minimum, all facilities must develop a policy that includes: screening for temperatures and symptom-reporting for visitors; scheduled hours and time limits for visits; proper social distancing measures; face coverings; Resident, family, and friend education about the risks of the spread of COVID-19.  Consideration for visitors during end-of-life situations will also be expanded. 

• The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is deferring Ohio employers' premium installments for the months of June, July, and August. Businesses will have the option to defer the monthly premium payments with no financial penalties. This is the second payment deferral BWC has given to employers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

• Governor DeWine's Fair Advisory Group has released guidelines for how county fair boards and agricultural societies can work with county health departments to safely operate junior fairs for kids. The decisions about county and independent fairs need to be made locally. The Ohio Department of Agriculture is in the process of distributing all state funding available for Ohio’s 94 county and independent fairs. Attached is the Resposible RestartOhio guidance for county fairs.   

• Lt. Governor Husted announced today that 150 Ohio companies have been approved for TechCred funding, which will help them upskill their current and incoming workforce to meet the needs of the increasingly tech-focused economy, particularly amid the COVID-19 health crisis. Many of the TechCred pre-approved credentials can be completed 100 percent virtually. Examples of these credentials and training providers can be found at TechCred.Ohio.gov.  

• Printable resources that can be used by anyone in Ohio to display common symptoms, protocols, or guidelines during the reopening of business and services throughout Ohio available in English and Spanish on the coronavirus website HERE. 

• For the week ending May 23, 2020, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported 42,082 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last 10 weeks (1,257,838) is more than the combined total of those filed during the last three years. Over the last 10 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $3.1 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 644,000 claimants. Pursuant to an order from the U.S.  Department of Labor, Ohio will release unemployment numbers on a weekly basis as soon as the national report is released on Thursday. 

• Ohioans can apply for unemployment benefits online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at unemployment.ohio.gov. It is also possible to file by phone at 877-644-6562 or TTY at 888- 642-8203, Monday through Friday 7AM to 7PM, Saturday 9AM to 5PM, and Sunday 9AM to 1PM. Employers with questions should email UCTech@jfs.ohio.gov.  

As always, Coronavirus.Ohio.Gov and the Department of Health hotline, 1-833-4-ASK-ODH are great resources for those who have questions.