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Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for September 24
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, September 29th at 2:00 PM.
Here’s the news from Thursday:
- Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
- 139,632 confirmed cases
- 8,112 probable cases
- 147,744 total cases
- 15,051 hospitalizations
- 4,414 confirmed deaths
- 301 probable deaths
- 4,715 total deaths
- 3,228 ICU admissions
- More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.
- Governor DeWine released this week's new Ohio Public Health Advisory System map.
- Upgraded to Level 3 (Red): Ashland, Delaware, Pike, Scioto, and Stark
- Remaining at Level 3 (Red): Butler, Mercer, Montgomery, and Putnam
- Downgraded to Level 2 (Orange): Portage
- There are no counties on Ohio’s Watch List
- Governor DeWine announced today that Ohio's ResponsibleRestart guidelines for higher education will now include a recommendation that all residential colleges and universities regularly test a sample population of asymptomatic students. The updated ResponsibleRestart Ohio guidance will be posted to coronavirus.ohio.gov in the next few days.
- The Ohio Department of Health today issued the Director's Order to Limit Access to Ohio's Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and to Permit Visitation. Intermediate care facilities for Ohioans with developmental disabilities can resume indoor visitation beginning on Monday, September 28, if safety standards outlined in the order are met.
- Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can begin allowing indoor visitation on Monday, October 12th if certain safety standards are met. These standards will be outlined in a forthcoming public health order. When visitation resumes, a Long-Term Care Facility Dashboard will be added to the COVID-19 data dashboard at coronavirus.ohio.gov where users can access facility-specific visitation information.
- Lt. Governor Husted announced that the one-game-per-calendar-day limit on sports competitions has been removed from the current sports order, which will be available soon on coronavirus.ohio.gov. This change comes over a month after the most recent guidelines were published with evidence showing that events have gone on without any noticeable increase in spread.
- Following a request from authorities in Cleveland, Governor DeWine today issued a proclamation to activate approximately 300 members of the Ohio National Guard to assist the Cleveland Police Department during the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday. The Ohio National Guard has provided support for similar events in the past, including the Republican National Convention in 2016 and several presidential inaugurations.
- Yesterday, Governor DeWine announced that Retail Food Establishments are permitted to resume use of their self-service food stations in accordance with guidance from the Ohio Department of Health. Examples of Retail Food Establishments are convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores. Self-service food stations are currently still not permitted to operate in Food Service Operations like restaurants. You can find a link to the updated Dine Safe Ohio Order HERE, and a link to updated sector guidance for self-service food stations in retail establishments HERE.
- Attached are the slides that Governor DeWine used during today’s press conference.
- Ohioans filed 17,435 initial jobless claims last week, according to statistics the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported to the U.S. Dept. of Labor today.
- Over the last 27 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $6.6 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 809,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, more than 94% have been processed, with less than 6% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $6 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 569,000 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.
