Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for February 4, 2021

Below are the updates from Governor DeWine’s press conference. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Tuesday, February 9^th at 2:00 PM.

 

Here’s the news from yesterday:

• Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
• 791,191 confirmed cases
• 119,656 probable cases  
• 910,847 total cases
• 47,110 hospitalizations
• 10,225 confirmed deaths
• 1,284 probable deaths
• 11,509 total deaths
• 6,800 ICU admissions  
• More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE. 

VACCINE UPDATE

• Ohio is among the top five states for delivering COVID-19 vaccine doses to long-term care facility residents.
• As a result of this aggressive effort to vaccinate those in long-term care, Ohio is beginning to see a drop in cases.

• Pfizer has notified Ohio that they believe they will increase their shipment of vaccine by 40 percent around mid-to-late February.
• Shipments could additionally increase even more by the end of March. Pfizer is currently shipping approximately 73,000 doses to Ohio per week.
• Moderna doses have increased from 73,200 two weeks ago to 105,600 doses that are expected next week.
• Ohio was one of the first states to draw unused doses from the long-term care program, and those 77,000 extra doses are being delivered this week to select CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

ODJFS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TEAM 

• Governor DeWine announced the formation of a new Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Public-Private Partnership Team to improve Ohioans’ experiences with the unemployment system.  
• Members of the team will include highly-skilled experts, most of whom are on loan from some of Ohio’s top banking and insurance companies:
• Fifth Third Bank
• Nationwide
• Western & Southern Financial Group
• Encova Insurance
• KeyBank
• Pat Tiberi, President and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable, worked with business leaders to identify the best talent for the partnership team who have experience in large organizations’ call centers, claims processes, and fraud detection.
• The team currently has around 16 members but is expected to grow.

UNEMPLOYMENT UPDATE

• This week, Ohio has paid out nearly $100 million to more than 110,000 Ohioans receiving traditional unemployment.
• This represents some extended weeks of benefits plus an additional $300 a week, which were included with the new federal aid.

• Starting this Saturday, more than 155,000 Ohioans will also start seeing benefits from this new federal aid package.
• This includes Ohioans who recently lost a job as a result of the pandemic as well as Ohioans who continue to be impacted due to the pandemic.

• By the last week in February, all Ohioans impacted by unemployment will have the ability to claim all the weeks and supplements available under the law and receive the benefits they are owed.

 

OPIOID SETTLEMENT

• Governor DeWine also commented on Ohio's $24.7 million settlement with McKinsey & Co. for its role in fueling the opioid crisis.
• The settlement is part of a $573 million national settlement encompassing 47 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.

• Settlement funds will be distributed as part of the OneOhio plan which focuses funding to programs that address prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery as well as criminal justice and public awareness costs that promote the overall health and well-being of Ohioans.
• Ohio was one of the first states to file lawsuits against the opioid manufacturers and distributers that pushed millions of addictive pills into Ohio.
• Last year, the state developed the OneOhio partnership with Ohio townships, villages, cities, and counties that filed suit against these same companies.

 

INVESTING IN OHIO:  OHIO’S FY 22-23 OPERATING BUDGET

Statements of Support for Governor DeWine’s Executive Budget

 

Broadband

“OhioX applauds Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, and their entire team for a technology and innovation-focused proposed biennial budget. Tech-focused companies, organizations, and people will play an important role in growing our economy as we build for the future. This budget is the latest example of our State’s commitment to becoming a leading technology innovation hub.” - Chris Berry, President, OhioX

 

Law Enforcement

“Body- worn cameras come with very high costs associated not only with the purchase, but with storage. The Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association (BSSA) fully supports this funding request, and if funding is secured, this will be a huge win for law enforcement.”- Keith Everhart, BSSA President and Hardin County Sheriff

 

Kids

“The Governor’s budget demonstrates Mike DeWine’s deep commitment to Ohio children and families. With implementation of the federal Family First Prevention Services Act in October and a brand-new Kinship Support Program rolling out, 2021 will be a pivotal year for county children services agencies. The Governor maintained the bulk of the unprecedented increases made two years ago. In challenging budget years, we sometimes see reductions in county allocations, but the Governor kept his word to continue moving forward his vision for stabilizing the children services system and working toward transformation.” - Angela Sausser, Executive Director, Public Children Services Association of Ohio

 

Local Government

The Ohio Township Association appreciates Governor DeWine’s continued support of local governments, particularly through broadband funding outlined in the Executive budget proposal. Over the last year, it has become undeniably apparent that connectivity is a necessity, not an option – and yet, broadband is a crucial tool to which so many township communities still lack access. Additionally, the OTA appreciates the support directed to infrastructure, MARCS, and the recently reinstituted local government indigent burial reimbursement program, among other items. The OTA looks forward to our continued partnership with the DeWine administration and the Ohio General Assembly on these funding areas and other programs to support township services.”  - Heidi Fought, Executive Director, Ohio Township Association

Attached are the slides that Governor DeWine used during today’s press conference.

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.