The Ohio Department of Health was sued in federal court Thursday for its ban on “non-essential businesses” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyOhio Health Director Amy Acton Sued for Ban on Non-Essential Businesses
Tag: Ohio
Lawmaker Says Walz Leaving Fate of Minnesota’s Economy in Hands of Multi-State Pact
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that he has joined a seven-state compact that will work in “close coordination” on plans to “reopen the economy in the Midwest region.”
Read the full storyOhio Coronavirus Numbers Continue to Fall Short of Projections
The number of confirmed cases in Ohio continues to be far below original estimates, despite earlier predictions for that number to be in the high thousands.
Read the full storyDeWine Calls for Phased-In Reopening Starting May 1 With Restrictions on Workforces
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton on Friday discussed how the state will develop its plan to reopen the economy.
DeWine said, “Ohioans have done a great job, a phenomenal job, fighting back, staying home, ensuring physical distancing. We’ve been doing all the things that needed to be done. I’ve never been prouder to be an Ohioan and I’m very grateful for what you have done. You have flattened the curve.”
Beginning May 1, the state will begin a phased-in reopening of the state economy. The plan will be fact-driven over a long period of time to minimize the health risk to business owners, employees, and customers.
Read the full storyOhioans Protest Gov. DeWine for Third Time in Two Weeks
Protesters gathered outside the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus Friday to protest Gov. Mike DeWine’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic for at least the second time this week.
Read the full storyOhio Lost More Jobs in Four Weeks Than It Did In Two Years
With approximately 157,218 unemployment claims filed last week, Ohio has lost more jobs in four weeks than it has in two years.
Read the full storyMore Than 38,000 Ohio Businesses Received Loans Under Depleted Paycheck Protection Program
More than 38,000 small businesses across Ohio have received forgivable loans from the federal government under the Paycheck Protection Program.
Read the full storyGovernor Mike DeWine Targets May 1 as the Date to Reopen Ohio
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine plans to begin reopening Ohio on May 1 provided the state has demonstrated the proper protocol during the pandemic. However, he added the working environments may never be the same.
Read the full storyAuthorities Plan to Issue Citations Against Ohio Amish Community for Holding Wedding Reception
Ohio authorities plan to issue citations against residents who planned an Amish wedding reception last week, various local outlets reported over the weekend.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General Files Suit Against Man Selling N95 Masks at 18 Times Market Price
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Tuesday that he had filed a lawsuit against several people selling personal protective equipment for a markup online.
Read the full story‘You’re Getting a Paycheck, We’re Not,’ Protestors Say of DeWine, Acton
Approximately 150 people gathered outside the State Capitol in Columbus Monday to tell Gov. Mike DeWIne and Health Department Director Amy Action that it’s past time to reopen the state.
Tom Zawistowski, president of Ohio Tea Party group We the People Convention, estimated the attendance, in an interview with The Ohio Star. This was the second such protest since last Thursday.
Many of the protestors called out, “You’re getting a paycheck, we’re not,” Zawistowski said.
Read the full storyOhio’s Health Director Amy Acton Unable to Name Number of Current COVID-19 Hospitalizations in State
Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton was unable to state how many residents are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus during a Monday press briefing.
Read the full storyRepublican Lawmakers Grow Restless, Call for DeWine to Reopen Ohio
Some Ohio Republican lawmakers are calling for Gov. Mike DeWine to reopen the state.
The governor said Friday he would create a plan to gradually reopen the state, The Plain-Dealer said.
House Speaker Larry Householder convened a task force that will study how to reopen the economy. State Rep. Paul Zeltwanger (R-OH-54) said Ohio needs to plan for controlling the disease for when segments of the economy reopen. He pointed out that some question whether 253 deaths as of Sunday justify the closures.
Read the full storyLegal Groups Sue ICE to Force Release of Illegal Immigrants in Ohio
A group of legal organizations has sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking the release of illegal immigrants detained in Ohio.
The ACLU National Prison Project, the ACLU of Ohio, and the lam firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced Friday that they have filed a lawsuit against ICE “on behalf of immigrants detained in crowded facilities in Geauga and Seneca Counties.”
The lawsuit seeks the release of illegal immigrants who are in civil detention and at high risk of serious illness or death in the event that they contract COVID-19.
Read the full storyOhio Near Bottom in Coronavirus Tests Per Capita Among All 50 States
Ohio is 44th out of 50 states in terms of the number of tests performed per capita for the Chinese coronavirus, data show.
Worldometers tracks COVID-19 test results and related data. The information, which was updated Sunday afternoon, is available here.
Looking at tests performed by 1 million, or per capita, is a method to adjust for population differences.
Based on that strategy, Ohio is 44th out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., with 5,432 tests done for every person out of 1 million people.
The national figure is 8,371 tests per million.
Read the full storyState Sen. Huffman Calls for DeWine to Reopen Businesses in West Central Ohio
State Sen. Matt Huffman (R-OH-12) is calling for the reopening of business activity in West Central Ohio, telling Gov. Mike DeWine that it makes sense from “population density.”
Read the full storyThe DeWine Depression: Unemployment Filings in Ohio Almost Double This Week
Jobless claims in Ohio through the first week of April have nearly doubled what was filed during all of 2019, WKRC reported.
Read the full storyBuckeye Institute Calls for Ending Regulations So Nurses Can Use Their Skills to Treat COVID-19 Patients
The Buckeye Institute says Ohio should end the collaborative supervision requirements that prevent advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) from offering the medical care they have been trained and licensed to provide.
Read the full story3D Printing Presents Possible Solution to Personal Protective Equipment Shortage
Mayo Clinic announced last week that it is exploring the possibility of 3D printing face masks and other personal protective equipment items to employ in the national fight against COVID-19.
The famous clinic said its 3D Anatomic Modeling Laboratories across the country as well as its Division of Engineering are working together to “reverse-engineer, 3D-print and machine solutions for patient care.”
Read the full storyOhio Now Allows Alcohol with Take-Out, Delivery
The Ohio Liquor Control Commission passed an emergency rule that allows restaurants to sell and deliver alcohol with take-out and delivery orders, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Tuesday.
The rule only applies to establishments with an existing on-premises liquor permit and has restrictions on quantity.
Breweries can now sell beer and wine that are not their own without food purchase, although liquor must be purchased with food. Patrons are only allowed to purchase two drinks per meal, and all drinks must remain closed during transport per the state’s open container laws.
Read the full storyOhio State Rep. Galonski Wants The Hague to Prosecute President Trump Over His Coronavirus Response
An Ohio state representative says she wants to subject America’s sitting president to an international tribunal at The Hague over President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus.
State Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-OH-35) from Akron tweeted, “I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been to The Hague. I’m making a referral for crimes against humanity tomorrow. Today’s press conference was the last straw. I know the need for a prosecution referral when I see one.”
Read the full storyCincinnati Sees First Two Coronavirus Deaths
Cincinnati has seen its first two deaths from the coronavirus, the city’s Health Commissioner Melba Moore confirmed on Monday.
The two men who died were ages 86 and 71 and both had pre-existing conditions, according to The Enquirer.
“On behalf of the entire City of Cincinnati, we express our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the patients who died as well as all families of those affected by this pandemic,” Mayor John Cranley said, according to Fox News affiliate Fox19.
Read the full storyOhio Department of Health COVID-19 Forecast Was Off by 850 Cases Monday, Actual Cases Just One-Third of ‘Mitigated’ Projections
Ohio health officials and Gov. Mike DeWine continue to reference a coronavirus model that hasn’t been updated since March 28.
The Ohio Star still hasn’t been provided with any information on the identities of the Ohio State University researchers behind the controversial model.
The Ohio Department of Health (OHD) claims on its website for the forecast model that it was “created based on current data” and becomes “more precise as more information is available.”
However, the model still predicts that the coronavirus pandemic will reach its peak in Ohio on April 25 when the state is projected to have 9,689 new cases. But that number is based on the information that was available as of March 28 and hasn’t been updated since.
Read the full storyStudy Says Ohio Will Hit COVID-19 Peak Wednesday, with Cases and Deaths Far Below DeWine’s Apocalyptic Forecasts That Shut State Down
A health institute that has been making national and state COVID-19 forecasts revised its model for Ohio, suggesting that the peak will be hit Wednesday, leaving far fewer cases and deaths than the gruesome numbers painted by Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration.
The Sandusky Register reported on the model update Monday.
The forecaster is the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHMC), and it is a model that has been cited by many state and federal officials, including President Donald Trump.
Read the full storyNew Coronavirus Cases and Hospitalizations Decline in Ohio on Sunday, Deaths Increase by 17
The rate of increases for new Chinese coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Ohio declined on Sunday, although the number of deaths climbed by 17.
The data is provided by The COVID Tracking Project, and is available here. The project has taken multiple screenshots every day of the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 portal, which is here, to provide and document the numbers.
Read the full storyOhio Will Appeal Ruling Allowing Abortion Clinics to Remain Open
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said he will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that exempts abortion clinics from a mandate to cancel all elective surgeries.
Several abortion providers sued the state last Monday seeking relief from the Ohio Department of Health’s order to cancel all elective and non-essential surgeries.
Read the full storyPublic Policy Group Files Records Request to Allow Ohioans Access to the Math Behind Health Department’s COVID-19 Model
The Ohio Roundtable filed a Freedom of Information request with Dr. Amy Acton of the Ohio Department of Health to allow all Ohioans to “see the math” behind the construction of Dr. Acton’s latest model which is controlling public policy decisions in Ohio.
Read the full storyMore New Coronavirus Hospitalizations in Ohio on Saturday (111) Than on Friday (93)
The cumulative number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ohio increased by 111 on Saturday and 93 on Friday.
Read the full storyOhio To Begin Tracking Ventilators in State
Ohio announced on Wednesday that it would begin tracking the number of ventilators and similar devices existed in the state.
Read the full storyDeWine Thanks President Trump for Approving Plan for Battelle to Sterilize Hundreds of Thousands of Protective Masks
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted on Sunday thanked President Trump and Dr. Stephen Hahn of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approving a plan to sterilize N95 masks to fight the coronavirus.
Earlier Sunday, DeWine called an emergency press conference to express his “deep disappointment” with the FDA for limiting the use of the new technology, The Ohio Star reported.
Read the full storyLiberals Ask DeWine to ‘Reduce Incarcerated Populations Immediately,’ Prisoner Sues for Release
Several liberal organizations sent a letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Friday urging him to “immediately reduce state and local incarcerated populations” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyFDA Allows Ohio Company to Make Unlimited Use of Face Mask Sterilizer After Trump, DeWine Intervene
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called an emergency press conference Sunday to express his “deep disappointment” with the Food and Drug Administration for limiting the use of a new technology to sterilize face masks.
Read the full storyKentucky Governor Andy Beshear Urges Kentuckians Not to Go to Tennessee
Kentucky Democratic Governor Andy Beshear urged Kentuckians living on the border of Tennessee to not go to the Volunteer State for anything other than work, helping a loved one or maybe the grocery shopping.
Read the full storyEconomist Recommends Ohio Use Federal Stimulus to Bolster Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund
Following Ohio’s shocking unemployment rate increase of 2,565 percent, one economist says the COVID-19 coronavirus’ economic impact will be “long lasting” and provides a list of recommendations.
Read the full storyDeWine May Cut State Budgets by Up to 20 Percent, But Public Sector Cannot Match Loss of Private Sector’s 188K Lost Jobs
Even as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine orders state departments to cut up to 20 percent of their budgets and implement a hiring freeze, state workers are not feeling the coronavirus economic burn like the private sector.
Read the full storyKroger Hired 23,500 Workers, Wants to Hire 20,000 More
Kroger announced on Friday that it recently hired more than 23,500 workers to meet additional demand during the coronavirus pandemic and that it plans to hire 20,000 more.
Read the full storyOhio Hit Harder with Unemployment Than Other States
Ohio was hit harder with unemployment filings than other states during the immediate aftermath of the coronavirus.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 3.28 million claims were filed in the week that ended March 21. That marked an increase of more than 3 million claims over the week prior, when 282,000 claims were filed, The Ohio Star reported.
Ohio’s claims totaled 187,784, the Cincinnati Enquirer said, up from 7,046 the previous week.
Read the full storyOhio AIDS Fundraiser Rescheduled to Be Online Event
A fundraiser for AIDS and HIV awareness has rescheduled to be an online event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyThink Tank Calls for Ohio Government to Take Common-Sense Measures to Fight Coronavirus and Aid in Economic Recovery
A new policy brief lays out actions that Ohio policymakers can immediately implement so Ohio can fight and yet recover from the coronavirus pandemic, and it doesn’t involve unilaterally moving primaries or shutting down businesses.
The Buckeye Institute released the brief on Monday.
The brief, Policy Solutions for the Pandemic: How Ohio Can Fight the Impact of Coronavirus, is available here.
Read the full storyOhio Abortion Clinics Still Scheduling Surgical Abortions in Defiance of State Government
Abortion clinics across Ohio are continuing to schedule surgical abortions during the coronavirus pandemic despite being told not to by state government officials.
Read the full storyOhio Dems Call Attorney General ‘Opportunistic’ and ‘Despicable’ for Telling Abortion Clinics to Close
Ohio Democrats called Attorney General Dave Yost “opportunistic” for urging abortion clinics to close during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health issued an executive order Tuesday that required health providers to cancel all non-essential or elective surgeries that utilize personal protective equipment (PPE).
Read the full storyConnecticut Relents, Orders All Labs to Report Negative Coronavirus Test Results, Leaving Ohio One of Two States to Fail to Comply With Federal Law
The State of Connecticut has gotten on board with the CDC to report negative test results to help the agency better track the spread of the coronavirus, leaving Ohio and Maryland as the only holdouts in complying with federal law.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General Tells Planned Parenthood to Stop Performing Abortions During Coronavirus Pandemic
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has ordered abortion clinics to stop performing surgical abortions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyACLU, Other Activist Groups Demand Voter Registration Deadline in Ohio Be Moved with New Primary Election Date
A collective of activist groups submitted a letter to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose demanding that the changes to the primary election also follow the National Voter Registration Act and the Ohio Constitution.
The letter from League of Women Voters of Ohio, A. Philip Randolph Institute Ohio, ACLU of Ohio, Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, and Demos reminded La Rose that the deadline for voter registration must be no more than 30 days before a federal election.
Read the full story22 Percent of New York State Residents Tested for Coronavirus are Positive, Ohio Refuses to Release Negative Test Data So No One Knows Rate in State
How many people have tested negative for the coronavirus in Ohio? That’s on a need to know basis, and Gov. Mike DeWine has decided you don’t need to know.
Meanwhile, in New York State, 22 percent of people who took the test were positive, according to The COVID Tracking Project, so residents there at least know what they’re facing.
Read the full storyLaRose Draws Heat for Moving Primary Election Date, a Move Called ‘Anarchy’ and ‘Executive Fiat’
Skeptics are calling Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s June 2 primary election date theoretical, saying the Legislature, not he, has the power to move the date.
Adjectives that are being thrown around include “anarchy” and “executive fiat.”
LaRose is already dictating the rules 88 county boards of elections should follow, the Ohio Capital Journal said. These LaRose rules include the dictate that county boards of election should not accept any new voter registrations ahead of the not-yet-official June 2 election.
Read the full storyCentral Ohio Transit Authority Suspends Fare Collection
The Central Ohio Transit Authority announced on Thursday that it will be temporarily suspending fare collection for all trips.
Read the full storyOhio Democratic Party Sues Frank LaRose for Acting Without ‘Legal Authority’ in Setting New Primary Date
The Ohio Democratic Party has filed a lawsuit against Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose over the state’s chaotic postponement of the presidential primary.
Read the full storyOhio to Distribute Temporary Pandemic Child Care Licenses
Ohio will issue temporary pandemic child care licenses to ensure communities have access to safe child care during the spread of the coronavirus, official announced on Wednesday. The temporary licenses are aimed at helping health and safety providers have a safe place for their children while they working to fight COVID-19.
Read the full story‘Chaos and Confusion’ Surround Ohio’s Canceled, Then On Again, Then Off Again Election
While most voters were asleep, the fate of Ohio’s Tuesday primary election was being decided by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Read the full story