Gov. DeWine Did a Number of Things to Address COVID-19 This Week

September 20, 2020 Ben Kolodny @ Ohio Star

 Governor Mike DeWine’s office released a review of the state’s COVID-19 status and response as well as a list of actions taken by the state.

The governor updated this week’s coronavirus numbers, which saw 69 counties remain at their current level of exposure, and Preble County being downgraded from a level 3 to a level 2. In other COVID-19 news, the state has it’s own dashboard for COVID tracking of children and schools in conjunction with the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and local health departments.

A “Rapid Response Guide for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers” was released to “support local health districts in developing culturally appropriate plans to respond to outbreaks in the migrant and seasonal farmworker communities.” The guide advises farms to utilize onsight testing, education, and smaller cohorts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

DeWine announced the expansion of the states “Coronavirus Wastewater Surveillance Network” from 30 cities to 50 in the next month. The release stated that “The state will continue to closely monitor the wastewater data and ensure communities are aware of trending increases in gene copies to assist with quick response and prevent further spread of disease.”

Adding to the existing health concerns in Ohio, the governor reported that the state has documented the first case of the flu in Putnam County and reminded Ohioans to get a flu shot.

Two programs to help Ohio’s struggling economy were announced this week. The “Ohio To Work” initiative and a lost wages assistance program are aimed at helping the 8.9% of Ohioans currently unemployed. The Ohio To Work program seeks to “help connect Ohioans looking for a job to a new job opportunity,” by bringing together “employers, nonprofits, educators, and training providers to help Ohioans reskill and restart their careers.”

The lost wages assistance program distributes $300 a week to eligible unemployment insurance recipients. The state says that “this assistance is available to Ohioans who received traditional unemployment benefits, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Trade Readjustment Assistance, SharedWork Ohio or extended benefits for weeks ending August 1 through September 5.”

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Ben Kolodny is a reporter for The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. You can follow Ben on Twitter. Tips can be sent to BenM1Kolodny@gmail.com.