04/01/2020

2020-04-01 OH Gov. DeWine on COVID-19

Last Updated: 04/01/20 (Updated daily at 2 p.m.) - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/ 

New orders/actions/measures

• Dr. Acton issued an order to all hospitals requiring them to send all COVID-19 tests to hospitals in-state that can provide quick turnaround.  The tests can no longer be sent to private labs.  The Dept. of Health will continue to be able to handle tests for critical patients and healthcare workers. 
• The Governor issued an order that suspends foreclosures on commercial real estate for 90 days.   It also requests that commercial lenders to create programs that will provide commercial property owners a forbearance on their mortgages – to prevent the need for the foreclosure - as has been done on for the residential market. 
• The goal is to allow for a 90-day pause in the commercial lending market to prevent evictions and foreclosures. 
• The order also covers and suspends foreclosures of any residential mortgages that are not already covered by the federal directives for federally-backed mortgages. 
• Ohio was approved yesterday afternoon for a federal disaster declaration.  This declaration will federal payments for state and local governments for their COVID-19 efforts.  It also allows support from the federal National Guard and Army Corps of Engineers.
• The Governor announced the formation of the Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19 to coordinate re-purposing efforts to manufacture PPE.  See below for further information.

When asked about businesses that are staying open in defiance of the current stay at home order, the Governor again said that another order will be issued tomorrow.  Given the context, it appears likely that the new order will at the very least extend the current stay at home order past April 6. 

As a reminder from yesterday’s orders, today is the first reporting day for those required to report to the ventilator and critical medical equipment inventory - https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/vent-inventory. 

The Governor discussed ongoing efforts of the hospitals to prepare for the surge.  The 8 regions have been grouped into 3 zones to direct people and resources where there is capacity and/or expertise.  The National Guard and the hospitals are connecting to build/identify the space and create the supporting infrastructure – utilities, sanitization, supplies, etc.  For instance, the Columbus team is meeting with the Columbus Convention Center to assess it as a site for a field hospital. 

The state has been working with the US Dept. of Agriculture and grocery stores to allow “click and collect” options for SNAP recipients.  This will allow SNAP recipients to order online, have curb pickup and swipe their SNAP benefits card at the curbside.  For stores that cannot handle SNAP payments curb side, SNAP recipients will still be able to order online and just walk into the store to pick up and pay.

The Governor announced the formation of the Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19.  In response to the COVID-19 challenges, The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), Ohio Hospital Association (OHA), Ohio Manufacturing Extension Program (Ohio MEP), nursing homes and JobsOhio have joined forces for this alliance. This collaborative effort will engage manufacturers to see which companies have interest in repurposing their manufacturing operations to produce some of the most in-demand products in the fight against COVID-19, especially products for the health care industry.  The Ohio Manufacturing Alliance is guiding manufacturers to help them learn what types of equipment are most needed and how to adapt current products, operations and personnel to meet the need. Ohio MEP, with its partner organization MAGNET in a lead role, is providing engineering capabilities and technical support to make PPE alternatives when possible. OMA is managing outreach to manufacturers, and OHA and nursing homes are providing insights on the products most needed. JobsOhio is providing regional support and financial assistance, where appropriate, to accelerate production.  The website for the Alliance is - https://repurposingproject.com/ 

The Lt. Governor passed on a couple of requests from the state grocers and essential retailers to help provide a safe and sound shopping experience.

1. Keep the 6 foot distance between yourself and other shoppers.
2. Shop patiently – wait for other shoppers to move out of the way.
3. Consolidate trips.
4.  Shop alone if possible.
5. Stay at home if you aren’t feeling well.
6. Wash and sanitize your hands both before and after shopping.  Please don’t touch your face and then touch products.
7. If you can, wear a mask and gloves.
8. Shop online if possible for curbside pickup or delivery.

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

• Under a state order, insured Ohioans will pay in-network prices for coronavirus treatment even if they are being treated at an out-of-network hospital. Additionally, health insurers must cover testing and treatment without preauthorization and cannot charge "balance billing" also known as surprise billing.  
• Sen. Rob Portman on Tuesday said he’s working to lift tariffs implemented by the Trump administration on several Chinese-made packaging parts that Akron-based Gojo Industries uses in the pumps that dispense its Purell brand hand sanitizer, which is in heavy demand to fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.  “We need all the hand sanitizer we can produce, and Purell is a global leader in that,” said Portman.
• China reported a surge in coronavirus infections as it began including asymptomatic cases in its official statistics and as concern grew about a wave of imported infections. President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that it was still too early to lift all coronavirus restrictions.
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced a 30-day stay-at-home order for the state Wednesday that tells nearly 21 million residents to stay indoors unless they are pursuing “essential services or activities.”  There are now 34 states under a statewide stay at home order. 

Key websites

Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Fight COVID-19 - https://repurposingproject.com/ 

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