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Governor DeWine announced today that Ohio is once again breaking
records in regard to COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Between yesterday and today, health officials have reported a total
of 4,961 new positive coronavirus cases in Ohio, the highest number
of new cases in a 24-hour period to date.
There are currently 2,075 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 which
is a 55 percent increase in hospitalized patients compared to two
weeks ago.
Of the hospitalized patients, 541 people are in intensive care. The
previous record for intensive care admissions was 533 in April.
"This virus is flaring up, and we have to push it down - the economy
depends on it," said Governor DeWine. "If the virus continues to
aggressively spread, people will lose confidence in their ability to
safely go to stores, restaurants, and other businesses. If we want
to keep our economy moving, we must all live with this virus and we
must all be more careful."
Governor DeWine stressed that the new record number of cases is not
due to increased testing capacity in the state. Since September 24,
the total number of tests in Ohio has increased by approximately 44
percent, but positive cases have increased 280 percent in the same
time period. If a person is tested multiple times, they are only
counted once.
STATEWIDE HIGH INCIDENCE
New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health revealed
today that all 88 counties in Ohio are now considered "high
incidence" as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
"There have been so many cases in the past two weeks that the risk
of catching this virus in every county of this state is very real
and very concerning," said Governor DeWine. "Again, I ask everyone
to recognize their personal responsibility in slowing the spread of
this deadly disease. It's up to every citizen in Ohio to choose to
slow the spread by wearing masks, distancing, and making overall
smart decisions."
According to today's updated Ohio Public Health Advisory System map,
56 counties are currently rated as having a very high risk of
exposure and spread (Red Level 3), up from 43 counties last week.
This represents the highest number of Red Level 3 counties since the
launch of the advisory system in July. As of today, 86 percent of
Ohioans are living in a Red Level 3 county.
Advisory Map 11/5/20
A county-by-county breakdown outlining the presence of COVID-19 in
all of Ohio's 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health
Advisory System's website.
NEW OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH STRUCTURE
Governor DeWine announced multiple key additions to the existing
administration at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff: Dr. Vanderhoff
previously served for more than a decade as a Senior Vice President
and as the Chief Medical Officer at OhioHealth. He has years of
experience leading large teams in successfully dealing with
important healthcare issues in Ohio and prepared OhioHealth to deal
with the threat of Ebola and the H1N1 flu pandemic.
Director Stephanie McCloud: Director McCloud previously served as
Governor DeWine's administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers'
Compensation, managing an agency of 1,800 colleagues and over $28
billion in assets. She has considerable experience in the area of
mental health and addiction treatment which is a priority in Ohio's
health improvement plan.
Senior Deputy Lance Himes: Himes had previously served as the
interim director of ODH where he has played an integral role in
running and managing many aspects of the pandemic response
operation. He will lead the coordination of the state’s vaccine
distribution plan and will continue to work directly with Ohio’s
local health commissioners.
Chief of Staff Kathleen Madden: Madden had previously served as
Assistant Director at the Ohio Office of Budget and Management and
will now play a key role in keeping ODH's pandemic and non-pandemic
programs and operations on track. She will work to prioritize and
resolve critical issues, provide oversight and guidance to ODH
staff, and ensure that ODH funds are spent responsibly and
strategically.
Other key members of the ongoing COVID-19 response who will continue
their roles in assisting ODH are:
Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John Harris, Ohio National Guard: Maj.
Gen. Harris will continue work to ensure complex operations, such as
COVID testing and contact tracing, are well-coordinated, monitored,
and improved when necessary. He will also work directly with Senior
Deputy Himes on the planning and logistics of the forthcoming
vaccine distribution program.
Director Ursel McElroy, Ohio Department of Aging: Director McElroy
will continue to direct virus prevention efforts for older adults in
the community and in long-term settings, including nursing homes and
assisted living facilities.
Director Lori Criss, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services: Director Criss will continue to lead efforts to address
the increasing mental health needs of citizens during the pandemic.
NEW OHIO BWC ADMINISTRATOR
Governor DeWine announced that John Logue, the Ohio Bureau of
Workers' Compensation's (BWC) Chief of Strategic Direction, will
become the new administrator of Ohio BWC effective on November 16.
Logue has worked for 26 years in the industry. Before returning to
BWC in 2019, he most recently served as the vice president of client
services for International Absence Management Company where he
focused on Ohio workers’ compensation.
CURRENT COVID-19 DATA
There are 235,170 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio
and 5,461 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 20,015
people have been hospitalized, including 3,969 admissions to
intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting
coronavirus.ohio.gov.
Video of today's full update, including versions with foreign
language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel's YouTube
page.
For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit
coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
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