Gov Mike DeWine’s daily briefing on COVID-19, April 21, 2020

DeWine says companies have received new FDA approval to make reagent for COVID-19 tests, says this will significantly expand Ohio’s ability to test

DeWine: Testing is vital to reopening Ohio’s economy

“The ability to test and test further is one of the components that will go into the safety (of reopening businesses)”

Announcing formation of a Testing Strike Force Team led by former Govs. Dick Celeste and Bob Taft

DeWine: Says the experience and knowledge of Celeste and Taft will help the state expand and maximize the ability to test for COVID-19

Says while from different parties Celeste (D) & Taft (R) have similar backgrounds...”2 remarkable individuals”

DeWine on Taft and Celeste: They will use their talent, life experience, and contacts to expand the ability to test

Aging Director Ursel McElroy was incited back to talk about Minority Health Strike Force after tech difficulties yesterday, here’s her prepared remarks https://twitter.com/andy_chow/status/1252617677903925248

DeWine restating that a disproportionate number of African Americans in Ohio have been hit with COVID-19, says the strike force team will look closer at the issue

DeWine says a resident at the Northwest Ohio Developmental Center has died due to complications with COVID-19, says this is the first coronavirus fatality of a resident of a developmental center

DeWine says the checks from the BWC dividends he announced a few weeks ago are now being sent out

Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio Department of Health Director, says social distancing is a “blunt instrument” to fight COVID-19 but says the state is working on more tools in the toolbox

Says the response and recovery plan involves social distancing, testing, and contact tracing

Acton says the implementation of social distancing was like flipping a light switch and says coming out of it will be more like fading up the dimmer switch

Acton: says reopening businesses will involve opening the lowest risk places first and monitoring that to see how it goes and if people can stay safe

DeWine says they’re going to do things that get the most amount of employees back with the least amount of risk...says more details are to come but that’s the idea

How will the state protect workers with a medical condition or who are at high risk to COVID-19?

Gov DeWine says he hopes employers can provide a way that allows those people to work but still mitigate the risk in some way

Acton: says there are teams looking at the state’s response from different silos

A panel of experts on business, health, and other

Says it’s a 3-dimensional chess game of policy to address the issue

On reopening businesses such as salons and barbershops

Says a lot of people want to know when they can get a haircut again

Says board that regulates that industry is looking into how to do it safely but notes that it’s a challenge because of the close proximity

Acton: Says the “essential” activities should be minimized. Such as go to work then come straight home...says we will still have to remain in our “clans” as much as possible

Gov DeWine and Dr. Acton asked about the possibility of widespread testing at nursing homes, similar to Ohio prisons

They says the hospitals near each nursing home facility will help lead the charge in testing at facilities if a flare up starts to occur