Lucas Fiscus and Cameron Haeft
eSomethin Staff
Monday, April 20, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that schools will continue remote online learning for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. The announcement comes alongside news that May 1 will begin a slowly reopen the state’s economy (should conditions be right).
It was made clear an economic reopening does not mean that distancing and other rules would end. Masks may become commonplace as well as distancing of six feet when out in public.
Tuesday, April 21, DeWine said that “it’s important that we do it the right way — the safe way”.
Phase one of reopening the economy starts by working with hospitals, then moving on to those businesses that are able to adjust to the precautions needed to slow the virus. Retail was mentioned last, and Governor DeWine held a large emphasis on keeping people safe while getting the most amount of employees back.
Progress has been made, DeWine said Monday: “We have flattened the curve, but it remains dangerous.”
Tuesday, DeWine said Ohio will be getting more reagent, a key factor to increasing tests across the state.
Dewine also described a new “Testing Strike Team” helmed by two former Ohio Governors, Democrat Dick Celeste, and Republican Bob Taft. According to DeWine, they were both “quick to say yes” and “they know their way around Ohio. They know their way around the world.”
Doctor Amy Acton, director of the Ohio department of Health, updated Ohioans on Tuesday, saying that there are 13,725 cases in Ohio, in 87 counties. Further, there have been 557 deaths in Ohio. Doctor Acton reminded Ohioans that despite the hopeful reopening of Ohio’s economy that “This is again, a very lethal disease” and “We’re gonna live with it for a while to come, at least 18 months.”
Despite the tough road ahead, Acton still gave a message of hope, that we must know the reality of the situation as well as holding optimism and hope in the face of it. It may be unfair to students, especially our seniors, that our year will continue and end online, but it’s all in order to keep as many people as safe as possible.
Acton said “There was no playbook for this… a lot of healthy and young people can get this disease.”
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