Fourth Ohioan tests positive for coronavirus; DeWine plans new orders for nursing homes, large gatherings

Akron Beacon Journal (OH)

After a fourth case of coronavirus was confirmed in Ohio on Wednesday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced a slew of new orders that the state health director plans to issue.

A 53-year-old man in Stark County is the fourth case and represents the first instance of the virus spreading in an Ohio community. He was hospitalized at Mercy Medical Center as of Wednesday, said Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health.

"Our focus right now is to support the care of this individual and protect the health of our residents," Canton Health Commissioner Jim Adams said. "The news of a COVID-19 case in our county is not a surprise. We have been planning and preparing to respond to cases when they occur."

The Stark County man became ill in late February and had no known travel outside the U.S., Acton said. Extensive contact investigations are underway for whoever may have encountered the man and three Cuyahoga County residents who were confirmed to have the virus Monday, Acton said.

"We think the individual had very limited contact with the general community," Adams said.

He said it's believed the person came into contact with less than six people before developing symptoms and visiting an emergency department.

"Right now we're still doing the case investigation," Adams said.

DeWine said Acton will soon make a number of new orders to help Ohio avoid "the potential of becoming Italy." Italy has now reported more than 10,000 cases of the virus and over 800 deaths caused by it.

The state health director will issue an order that nursing homes only allow one visitor per day, DeWine said. Any visitors will have their temperatures tested before entering a nursing facility, the governor said.

"We're trying to balance this but we also know that this is a particularly vulnerable population and we have to take dramatic steps to do all we can to protect them," DeWine said.

The governor also said Acton would announce a set of rules regarding large gatherings. He would not provide specific details about what size of gatherings would face restrictions.

DeWine on Tuesday asked for event organizers and sporting events to limit spectators. The Ohio High School Athletic Association followed suit and said it would ban most fans at its tournaments and championships.

"Everything we're doing in the United States and certainly here in Ohio is to try to not overwhelm the health-care system," Acton said.

The governor said the state's order to prohibit most spectators and ban the trade show expo at the Arnold Sports Festival last week has since been confirmed to be a "no-brainer."

DeWine on Wednesday reiterated that he was not recommending school districts shut down altogether. But, he said that teachers and parents should prepare in case the time comes.

"We want all our educators to know we're going to work with you if we come to that point," DeWine said.

In an attempt to assist Ohio and other states, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that it is awarding $560 million to state and local health departments. Ohio will get more than $15.6 million of that money to help pay for prevention efforts against COVID-19, according to a press release.

The money was designated for state and local health districts when President Donald Trump signed the $8.3-billion Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act last Friday, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

"These funds will allow public health leaders to implement critical steps necessary to contain and mitigate spread of the virus in communities across the country," CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield said in a prepared statement.

Earlier in the day Wednesday, DeWine toured the Ohio Department of Health's coronavirus call center. Public calls to the state's center seeking information about prevention have accelerated from 421 on Friday to a high of 1,353 Tuesday.

There are 24 Ohioans awaiting coronavirus test results and 21 who have tested negative, according to the Ohio Department of Health's website. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic Wednesday, meaning it is now a worldwide outbreak of a serious new disease that is transmitting from one person to another.

"There's undoubtedly more people in Ohio carrying [the virus] now," DeWine said during his visit to the call center. "It's moving faster than anyone can imagine."

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