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In this file photo, protesters gather at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to protest the stay-at-home order April 20, 2020.
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Ohio governor makes health, economic arguments for restarting businesses

Matthew Hatcher / Getty Images

Ohio governor makes health, economic arguments for restarting businesses

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine laid out his economic case on Wednesday for why he believes Ohio must begin to slowly reawaken from its quarantine on May 1 even though he has not seen the decline in coronavirus cases and deaths that he would like.

“The thing that we’ve been missing and looking for ... is the ability to seek out and be aggressive in regard to this virus,” Mr. DeWine said. “We have not had the testing. ... The [contact] tracing and the testing pieces are starting to come together.

“We have hit a plateau,” he said. “We would like to see [the numbers] decline, but the plateau seems to be holding.”

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Wearing a protective mask made by his wife, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine walks into his daily coronavirus news conference on April 16 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
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Mr. DeWine and his health director, Dr. Amy Acton, have been tracking five-day trends in new coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, intensive-care stays, and deaths. But as the governor talks about gradually lifting economic restrictions, there has been no sustained reduction. Ohio never had a major spike in cases.

Among its guidelines for states to consider for reopening their economies, the Trump Administration has talked about a 14-day downward trajectory in such numbers.

Mr. DeWine on Wednesday got a head start in getting hospitals back to normal with an order from Dr. Acton to get previously delayed nonemergency surgeries and procedures back on track. The next step will be getting doctor, dentist, and other health-care offices reopened.

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The state reported a total of 14,117 virus infections, up 392 cases, and 610 deaths, up by 26. A total of 2,888 hospitalizations were reported.

Local officials on Wednesday said there were 873 total cases in Lucas County, with 841 confirmed and 32 probable. There were 49 deaths in the county reported as of Wednesday, up from 45 on Tuesday.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, charged with working with businesses to prepare for emergence from quarantine, warned that the longer this goes on, the bigger the toll on state and local budgets that pay for vital services.

“During a normal recession, the $2.7 billion we have in the rainy day fund would suffice,” he said. “But, based on current projections, we might need twice that amount just to balance the [state] budget over the next 15 months.”

Mr. DeWine plans to map out on Thursday how, beginning on May 1, Ohio will allow certain businesses to reopen after demonstrating they can do it and still diminish risks to employees and customers.

Before the governor set that date, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Jeep plant in Toledo announced it would restart operations on May 4. Some workers have voiced concerns as to whether it is safe yet to do so.

“They’re going to have to comply and follow the regulations or they won’t be allowed to open. That’s the bottom line,” Mr. Husted said. “We want economic activity to happen, but we want workers to feel safe. We want customers to feel safe.”

But he warned there is no complete protection from this virus short of absolute isolation.

“Businesses have to follow it, and, yes, employees, if they feel like they’re not safe, then they can contact the health department and the department will be able to enforce those guidelines,” Mr. Husted said. “They should feel very comfortable calling the health department and making sure that that happens.”

Also on Wednesday, the state rolled out its new format for tracking coronavirus cases at care facilities, including nursing homes, throughout Ohio.

Just 19 out of 88 counties initially appeared on the state’s reporting list. Lucas County was not immediately included, though local health officials previously released information showing more than 100 coronavirus cases at multiple care facilities in the county.

Of the counties included in the state’s data on Wednesday, there were a total of 558 cases among residents and 223 cases among staff members.

Melanie Amato, press secretary for the Ohio Department of Health, said this system is a new reporting style and not all local health departments have fully made the transition, so some counties have been left off the list while state officials confirm local cases.

Once cases are confirmed, they will be added to the list, she said.

Among other developments:

■ Supplemental unemployment compensation payments approved weeks ago by the federal government — $600 a week in addition to state benefits — are expected to begin on Friday. The state has faced criticism for being slow in processing and issuing the federal benefits as well as the fact that the state’s online application system has been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of claims.

■ The Department of Youth Services reported its first coronavirus case in a juvenile detention facility, which had so far avoided the outbreaks that have raged in state prisons and nursing homes. The case was reported at the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility

■ The state has launched a toll-free number to provide assistance for those struggling with the stress of being quarantined at home. The number, 1-800-720-9616, will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Calls would roll over to a national suicide prevention hot line after that.

The Block News Alliance consists of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, and television station WDRB in Louisville, Ky. Jim Provance is a reporter for The Blade.

First Published: April 23, 2020, 2:18 a.m.

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In this file photo, protesters gather at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to protest the stay-at-home order April 20, 2020.  (Matthew Hatcher / Getty Images)
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