More COVID-19 testing; Dr. Acton resigns

VW independent/submitted information

COLUMBUS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Dr. Amy Acton, MD, provided the following updates Thursday on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Testing expansion

Governor DeWine announced that Ohio is expanding testing and encouraged those who want a COVID-19 test, including those who are low-risk or asymptomatic, to talk with their health care provider or contact a testing location to arrange a test.

“Until now, we have very much had a scarcity mindset because we had a very real scarcity of testing resources, but that mindset needs to change,” Governor DeWine said. “Testing is a very important weapon in our arsenal as we continue to wage war against a very real enemy. By understanding who is sick, whether they are showing symptoms or not, we are able to better prevent the spread of the COVID-19.”

Governor DeWine also announced a series of “pop-up” testing locations, beginning with six locations in Columbus. These temporary testing sites will be available all over the state, including in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Portsmouth, Dayton, Xenia, Columbiana, Akron, and other locations.

Testing locations in Ohio can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Basic reproduction number

Governor DeWine released the latest basic reproduction number or R0 for eight regions of Ohio. The R0 represents the number of people, on average, that a person will spread a disease to. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that COVID-19’s R0, without interventions, to be 2.5. With Ohio’s interventions, the R0 for the state measured slightly lower than 1.0 on June 1. Ohio is beginning to see a slight increase in the R0 measurements, more so in certain parts of Ohio such as the Dayton region.

Best practices for places of worship

Governor DeWine sent a letter to the ministerial community in Ohio to update them on the status of COVID-19 and provide suggested best practices for resuming in-person services.

“Although Ohio never closed churches, synagogues, mosques, or other places of worship during this pandemic, we know that most of them stopped holding their traditional in-person services and found other ways to worship to protect their members and the communities where they serve,” DeWine said. “Just as we did with industry, outdoor activities, and entertainment, we have put together some suggested best practices for places of worship to keep in mind as they reopen.”

This guidance can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

New role for Dr. Amy Acton

Governor DeWine announced that Dr. Amy Acton will step down as director of the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and begin serving as his chief health advisor effective at the end of business today. Lance Himes, who previously served as ODH’s director, was named interim-director.

“Let me say how very grateful I am for Dr. Acton’s selfless and tireless service to the people of Ohio as our Ohio Department of Health director,” DeWine said. “It’s true that not all heroes wear capes. Some of them wear a white coat embossed with the name Dr. Amy Acton.”

In her new role, Dr. Acton will take a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing health and well-being for all Ohioans. In addition to advising on health issues, she will continue to focus on the COVID-19 crisis.

ODJFS employment and training grant

Lt. Governor Husted announced that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) will receive an $8.5 million federal Employment Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant to help reemploy individuals who lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and to help employers rebuild their workforces.

Current Ohio data

There are 40,004 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio and 2,490 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 6,753 people have been hospitalized, including 1,732 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov.

For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.