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Governor DeWine Press Conference Summary for Tuesday, November 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, December 1st at 2:00 PM.  

Here’s the news from Tuesday: 

  • Ohio’s COVID-19 case data is below:
    • 351,304 confirmed cases
    • 20,604 probable cases  
    • 371,908 total cases
    • 25,069 hospitalizations
    • 5,728 confirmed deaths
    • 390 probable deaths
    • 6,118 total deaths
    • 4,483 ICU admissions
    • More data is available on the COVID-19 Dashboard HERE. 
  • New data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) shows that 98 more deaths were reported in the past 24 hours which is the second-highest number of deaths reported in a single day in Ohio since the start of the pandemic. A total of 364 new hospitalizations were reported in the past 24 hours, and approximately 8,604 additional positive COVID-19 cases were recorded. Total hospitalizations are also continuing to trend upwards. The current surge in cases is believed to be linked to people gathering on and around Halloween.  
  • Ohio's positivity rate, which is the daily percentage of positive tests reported to ODH, has reached 14 percent - just one percentage point shy of Ohio's travel advisory warning level of 15 percent. Each Wednesday, ODH releases a travel advisory for Ohio citizens planning to travel to other states which advises against travel to states with a positivity rate of 15 percent or more. In addition to Ohio's travel advisory, the updated Ohio Public Advisory System map will also be published on Wednesday at coronavirus.ohio.gov 
  • Lt. Governor Husted announced that less than half of the eligible permit holders have submitted an application for the Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund. Roughly 30 different permit types, including bars, restaurants, breweries, distilleries, wineries, casinos, and private clubs may be eligible. Ohioans can find a list of eligible permits, along with the application, at BusinessHelp.Ohio.gov
  • At the urging of Governor DeWine, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) board voted unanimously to approve issuing $5 billion in dividends to Ohio’s employers in mid-December to ease the financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This is nearly four times the dividend BWC issued in October, bringing total dividends this year to nearly $8 billion. Employers should expect to see their checks in the mail in mid-December. 
  • In September, a new initiative was announced in collaboration with JobsOhio called “Ohio to Work,” to help Ohioans who are looking for a job during the pandemic. Lt. Governor Husted said today that the program is currently being piloted in the Greater Cleveland area, and October’s first Virtual Career Fair had more than 30 employers with over 1,000 open jobs. More than 700 job seekers attended. The next Virtual Career Fair is Thursday, December 10. To register, visit OhiotoWork.com 
  • Today, 7 counties representing over 5 million Ohioans publicly issued their support for Stay-at-Home Health Advisories and highlighted the risks associated with large holiday gatherings. We commend these counties for doing their part to help protect Ohioans against the spread of COVID-19. Please see the attached press release 
  • 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.

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