Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for Thursday, July 9

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, July 14^th.  

Here’s the news from Thursday: 

• Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
• 57,506 confirmed cases
• 3,825 probable cases  
• 61,331 total cases
• 8,570 hospitalizations
• 2,749 confirmed deaths
• 257 probable deaths
• 3,006 total deaths
• 2,146 ICU admissions
• More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE. 

• Governor DeWine announced today that new public health data has led the Ohio Department of Health to designate 12 counties as being in a Red Alert Level 3 Public Emergency as defined by the Ohio Public Health Advisory System.

• COUNTIES UPGRADED TO LEVEL 3: Clermont, Fairfield, Lorain, Pickaway, Summit, and Wood
• COUNTIES CONTINUING AT LEVEL 3: Butler*, Cuyahoga*, Franklin, Hamilton*, Montgomery, and Trumbull
• COUNTIES DOWNGRADED TO LEVEL 2: Huron
• Three Red Alert Level 3 counties marked with a star (*) are on Ohio's Watch List as they are approaching Purple Alert Level 4. Franklin County was removed from the Watch List due to a decrease in hospital admissions. 

• Mask mandates for the new counties upgraded to Red Alert Level 3 will go into effect at 6 p.m. on July 10, 2020. Residents in Huron County are no longer required to wear a mask in public, however, they are strongly encouraged to do so. 

• The Ohio Department of Higher Education, in consultation with Ohio colleges, universities, the Ohio Department of Health, and health experts across the state have developed guidance to help campuses safely reopen. The Responsible RestartOhio guidance for Institutions of Higher Education includes minimum operating standards and best practices for all campuses. Because each campus must develop policies and procedures related to COVID-19 testing, new Guidance for COVID-19 Testing at Institutions of Higher Education was also released to help institutions tailor their testing plan to their community and develop policies. 

• To help K-12 schools and institutions of higher education address increasing costs associated with the COVID-19 safety measures, Governor DeWine and leaders of the Ohio General Assembly are requesting that the Ohio Controlling Board approve an initial request on Monday to allocate $200 million for higher education and $100 million for K-12 schools from the Coronavirus Relief Fund. The funding would be available to all public and private schools and for all two and four-year colleges and universities, both public and private, including adult career tech providers. 

• The funding request is in addition to the more than $440 million in direct federal CARES Act funding that Ohio K-12 schools are receiving and the more than $190 million in direct federal funding provided to Ohio's colleges and universities. 

• Governor DeWine announced that he is awarding an additional grant of $15 million to the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. The funds will be used to support homelessness prevention efforts and rapidly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness who could be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19, especially those in congregate facilities such as homeless shelters.  The grant funding is in addition to a $1 million grant that Governor DeWine award the coalition in April. 

• Lt. Governor Husted announced the launch of the Individual Micro-credential Assistance Program (IMAP) which was created in partnership with the Ohio House of Representatives. This program will provide $2.5 million in grants to help unemployed Ohioans earn in-demand, technology-focused credentials that will give them a leg up in finding a job in the increasingly tech-focused economy. The grant application is open to training providers, such as universities, colleges, Ohio technical centers, or private sector training businesses. Training providers interested in applying can find more information at IMAP.Development.Ohio.gov. The deadline to apply is July 24, 2020. 

• Governor DeWine recently signed an executive order enabling the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to use federal funding authorized under the CARES Act to enhance the state’s SharedWork program. Participating employers agree to reduce the affected employees’ hours by a uniform percentage, between 10 percent and 50 percent, for up to 52 weeks. In return, those employees receive SharedWork compensation (which is a prorated unemployment benefit) and, while federally available, may also receive the Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit each week. For more information visit jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/SharedWorkOhio. 

• Lt. Governor Husted encouraged Ohioans who have been fully recovered from COVID-19 for at least two weeks to consider donating plasma. For more information or to sign up to donate, visit redcrossblood.org/plasma4covid or contact a local blood donor or plasma collection center. 

• For the week ending July 4, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported 33,483 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Department of Labor. Over the last 16 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $4.9 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 736,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, about 94% have been processed, with about 6% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $3.8 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 411,000 PUA claimants. 

• 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.