Governor Mike DeWine discussed programs Wednesday aimed at helping Ohio deal with COVID.
In an emailed press release, DeWine’s office announced the creation of a new demographic dashboard which will allow those interested to break down COVID cases by race and ethnicity, as well as age and county. DeWine said the “dashboard will help better track health inequities and disparities” and that “this data will also help put critical decisions into context for policymakers.”
DeWine encouraged Ohioans to speak with contact tracers should they try to get in touch. Noting that “contact tracing slows the spread of COVID-19 by notifying people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and advising them to monitor their health for signs and symptoms; helping those who may have been exposed get tested; asking people to self-isolate or self-quarantine if appropriate; helping people identify the resources they need to safely stay at home.”
The release noted that car manufacturer Ford will be “donating 2 million medical grade face masks to the state of Ohio for healthcare providers, first responders, underserved populations, and senior living communities,” as part of their commitment to donate 100 million masks by 2021. The release goes on to state that the company is “currently manufacturing 2.5 million medical-grade masks a week for its employees and at-risk communities, is growing the number of mask-making machines by mid- to late-October to increase production and deliver on its goal.”
Also touched on was Small Business Week, which according to the release “celebrates America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. Ohio is home to more than 965,000 small businesses that account for 99.6 percent of the businesses in the state. Together they employ 2.2 million people, which is 45 percent of Ohio’s total employees.”
Small businesses have been thoroughly impacted by the struggling economy, with countless businesses forced to close down due to the pandemic. A survey reported on by NBC 4 shows that as many as 80% of Ohio restaurants will not break even this year due to restrictions and the overall economic downturn.
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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 [email protected].
