03/31/2020

2020-03-31 OH Gov. DeWine on COVID-19

Last Updated: 03/31/20 (Updated daily at 2 p.m.) - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/ 

New orders/actions/measures

• Dr. Acton is issuing an order today to help track medical equipment availability – particularly ventilators and CPAP machines – around the state.  There will be required weekly online reporting on Wednesdays by 5:00 pm by the entire supply chain – medical facilities, doctors, manufacturers, distributors, transporters etc. - to facilitate tracking and re-distribution as needed.  There are exemptions for personal use and equipment in transit across Ohio for delivery in another state.  The inventory reporting portal can be found at: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/vent-inventory 
• The Governor extended the work from home order for non-essential state employees until May 1, 2020. 
• Ohio EPA Director Laurie Stevenson issued a new order that prevents water systems from shutting off service until the crisis ends.  Systems must also reinstate water that was shut off after January 1, 2020 at the customer’s request.  It does not relieve the customer’s duty to pay their bills. 

The Governor and Lt. Governor were pressed on if/when the stay at home order, which expires on April 6, would be extended.  While they would not commit on an extension, the Governor did say that he believes that he has signaled that now is not the time to let up on the measures that have been undertaken to flatten the curve. 

Governor DeWine opened today by stating that he has asked JobsOhio to start planning on how best to deploy resources once the crisis is over.  The board and the employees will be helping with the post-pandemic crisis.  JobsOhio announced today a $2 million growth fund loan to Appalachian Growth Capital to help support small Southeast Ohio business during the crisis and support sustainable growth afterwards.

The Governor commended Battelle and Ohio State University’s development of a rapid diagnostic test, allowing for faster turnaround time for test results.  OSU Wexner Medical Center will administer the tests under its existing certification permits.  Test results can be available in less than five hours, with the system capable of processing about 200 tests a day, with the goal of ramping up to process more than 1,000 tests a day.

Battelle processed the first 3500 n95 masks last night and will continue to ramp up to the 160,000 as the masks continue to be sent in for processing. 

Lt. Governor Husted provided an update on the unemployment system.  He has asked the Department and the private vendors to increase the urgency that they are bringing to bear on increasing capacity.  They are working to train another 180 call center workers to add to the expanded system.  The Bureau of Workers Compensation is also cross-training some of their staff to join that workforce.  But stressed that though it takes some time, that the system is working for most people.  He added that the system has handled twice the number of claims in two weeks than it usually handles in a year.  It is a work in progress and they are working as quickly and as best they can.  He again asked people to be patient and remember that benefits will be retroactive.

Lt. Governor Husted also highlighted some recent insurance mandates:

• Insurers must temporarily suspend certain actions which they would otherwise be permitted to take due to the expiration of the driver license of a named insured or other covered family member – due to the closure of driver license offices. 
• All insurers issuing property and casualty, life, and long term care insurance policies in the State of Ohio must provide their insureds with at least a 60-day grace period to pay insurance premiums during the state of emergency.

Bulletins regarding insurance coverage can be found on the Dept. of Insurance’s webpage under the About Us/Bulletin tab: https://insurance.ohio.gov

As a reminder, Governor DeWine and Dr. Acton outlined the 10 most wanted PPE items and asked any manufacturers that can make those items to please contact Director Matt Damschroder of the Dept. of Administrative Services or together@governor.ohio.gov as soon as possible.  The list includes:

Surgical gowns

Face/Surgical Masks

Gloves (nitrile, vinyl or butyl)

N-95 particulate respirators

Isolation gowns

Face shields

Tyvek coveralls

Thermometers

Foot coverings

Ventilator tubing

Note: For an archive of all COVID-19 related First Alerts from Calfee, which are separate from these emails and focused on specific business topics, please visit the Calfee COVID-19 Resource Center: https://www.calfee.com/covid-19-resource-center

Other items of note

• A coalition of voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters of Ohio and the A. Philip Randolph Institute filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday evening challenging provisions of HB 197 that extend absentee voting until April 28. The groups argue that the changes create a cumbersome vote-by-mail process and will harm minority voters.  
• The coronavirus death toll in the United States has exceeded 3,000, according to state and county health agencies — more than the number of people who died in the initial Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Health officials have warned that the virus could kill as many as 200,000 people in America, even “if we do things … almost perfectly.”
• Italy reported 837 new deaths Tuesday, raising its toll to 12,428, the highest of any nation. Spain reported 849 new deaths earlier in the day, the worst 24-hour period yet in an outbreak that has killed 8,189 people there.  The confirmed number of infections worldwide continues to grow, surpassing 800,000 on Tuesday. In the United States, there are more than 175,000 confirmed cases — more than double the number announced by China, where the outbreak began late last year.
• Macy’s announced it will furlough most of its 125,000 workers as sales evaporated with the shuttering of 775 stores. Kohl’s and Gap also announced furloughs of about 80,000 each. Media giant Gannett announced furloughs for newspaper employees who earn more than $38,000 a year and pay cuts across the company. Sysco Corp., the country’s largest food distributor, also confirmed thousands of furloughs and layoffs of undisclosed number of workers worldwide.

Key websites

General state updates - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/

Data dashboard - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/dashboard

Election information - https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/  

Closure order FAQ - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/Stay-at-Home-Information/Stay-At-Home-Order-Frequently-Asked-Questions

Unemployment compensation - http://jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/CoronavirusAndUI.stm

Mental health resources - https://mha.ohio.gov/Health-Professionals/About-Mental-Health-and-Addiction-Treatment/Emergency-Preparedness/Coronavirus

Ohio benefits application - https://benefits.ohio.gov/

SharedWork Ohio - http://jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/SharedWorkOhio/

Support resources for adults - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/resources/resources-for-adults-coping-with-the-covid-19-pandemic

Find your local health district - https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/find-local-health-districts

Job openings - https://jobseeker.ohiomeansjobs.monster.com/home.aspx

COVID-19 checklists - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/COVID-19-Checklists/ 

Business resources - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/resources-for-economic-support

Banking pandemic resources and relief programs - https://www.ohiobankersleague.com/customers 

Pandemic child care center information - http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/CoronavirusAndChildcareForFamilies/ 

Checklist for essential travel - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/stay-at-home-information/essential-travel