Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for Thursday, October 29

Below are the updates from Governor DeWine’s press conference yesterday. The next press conference is currently scheduled for Thursday, November 5^th at 2:00 PM.   

Here’s the news from Thursday: 

• Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
• 196,864 confirmed cases
• 12,073 probable cases  
• 208,937 total cases
• 18,800 hospitalizations
• 4,963 confirmed deaths
• 312 probable deaths
• 5,275 total deaths
• 3,816 ICU admissions
• More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE.

• Governor DeWine released Ohio's updated Public Health Advisory System map:

• Upgraded to Level 3 (Red): Ashtabula, Auglaize, Clermont, Defiance, and Trumbull

• Watchlist Counties: None  

• Governor DeWine announced that Ohio has now hit a record number of cases reported in a single 24-hour period. Between yesterday and today, health officials have reported a total of 3,590 new positive coronavirus cases in Ohio which is 700 cases more than the previous high number of cases reported last Saturday. A total of 194 new hospitalizations were also reported in the past 24 hours, the third-highest number of hospitalizations reported in a single day so far. 

• Governor DeWine called on community leaders in each county to immediately form a local COVID Defense Team consisting of county commissioners, mayors, local hospital leaders, health commissioners, business leaders, religious leaders, and other local leaders. Each COVID Defense Team will be responsible for assessing COVID-19 spread in their communities, taking inventory of the assets in the community, and focusing on what steps are necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus among their citizens. 

• As Ohio communities continue to face the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that they have the resources they need to help keep residents safe. HERE is a COVID-19 Resource Guide for local communities to use as a tool as we continue to help one another and persevere until we are on the other side of this crisis. 

• Governor DeWine announced today that the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities has partnered with Governor DeWine’s Children’s Initiative to provide financial support to families who may need supplemental assistance outside of what is provided by their child's Individualized Education Programs (IEP). Learning Aid Ohio was created to connect tutors, aides, or in-home providers who can offer distance learning support for students with disabilities on IEPs. Applications can be submitted at www.LearningOhio.com. 

• Attached are the slides that Governor DeWine used during today’s press conference, graphics on community spread, and what individuals can do to help fight the COVID-19 virus. 

• Ohioans filed 17,531 initial jobless claims last week. Ohioans filed 266,208 continued jobless claims last week, which was 510,094 fewer than – or less than half (about 34%) of – the peak earlier this year. 

• Over the last 32 weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $7.1 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 830,000 Ohioans. Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, more than 95% have been processed, with less than 5% pending. In addition, ODJFS has issued more than $6.7 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments to more than 648,000 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.