Coronavirus

Coronavirus Pandemic: DeWine says pro, collegiate sports announcements coming next week; discusses testing options

By WHIO Staff
By WHIO Staff

Gov. Mike DeWine held a briefing this afternoon. to address the latest on coronavirus in Ohio. The press conference comes a day after DeWine received both a positive and negative test result.

>> Coronavirus Tests: What types are there and how are they different?

The following announcements were made:

  • DeWine said the state has seen some positive movement when it comes to coronavirus.
  • Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, has dropped out of the Level 3 Red category under the state’s health advisory system. “Combined with efforts by the residents & businesses, Hamilton County’s numbers are shifting downward,” DeWine said.
  • The state released the Top 10 counties with the most cases per 100,000 people and three Miami Valley counties were included. Mercer County topped the list at 262.3 cases per 100,000 people. Mercer County has a rise in emergency room visits. DeWine said the virus is in all corners of the county and is affecting all ages.
  • Darke and Champaign counties also were in the Top 10. Champaign County has 149.2 cases per 100,000 people and Darke County has 127.2 cases per 100,000 people.
  • DeWine said next week the state will make announcements on collegiate and professional sports. He also said they will issue updated guidance on school sports.
  • The Governor discussed the different types of tests that are available to test for coronavirus. WHIO has an explanation of that here. The state said the vast majority of tests given in Ohio, over 90 percent, have been PCR molecular tests, which is a more detailed test.
  • The state is allocating $50 million through a grant program to help provide hotspots and internet-enabled devices to students. Schools will be notified of the program and there will not be a matching requirement. This money can be used for purchases that have been made since July 1.

Things you should know today, Friday:

  • Gov. Mike DeWine tested negative for COVID-19 late Thursday afternoon, hours after testing positive ahead of greeting President Donald Trump at an event in Cleveland.
  • Mercer County elevated to a red level 3 under the state’s Ohio Public Health Advisory System
  • Gov. Mike DeWine’s office is reviewing a ruling a Warren County judge issued Thursday that some contact sports can more forward with games under the same rules as non-contact sports in the county. Common Pleas Judge Timothy Tepe granted a temporary injunction for the Southwestern Ohio Basketball and the Warren County Convention Center and Visitor’s Bureau to allow contact sports to go ahead at these locations, our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati is reporting.
  • Travel Advisory Update: If you’re entering Ohio after travel to states reporting positive testing rates of 15% or higher for COVID-19, you are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. Positivity rate is an indicator of how much COVID-19 there is in a community, and the Ohio Department of Health is recommending against travel to those states with high positivity. This advisory is intended for both leisure and business travel, and should be heeded by both Ohioans and out-of-state travelers.
  • The list of states will be updated every week. Based on a 7-day rolling average of positivity rates of Aug. 5, the affected states are Mississippi (25.8%), Alabama (19.9%), Nevada (19.0%) Florida (18.2%) Arizona (18.1%) and Idaho (17.5%)

More things you should know today, Friday:

LATEST STATE DATA: As of Friday afternoon, there have been at least 98,675 confirmed or probable cases in the state, 3,652 deaths, and 11,447 hospitalizations, according to the Ohio Department of Health. 75,975 people are presumed to have recovered from the virus in the state.

Ohio has an estimated population of approximately 11.7 million, census records show.

[ Local cases, deaths reported to Ohio Department of Health ]

There have been 1,617,822 people tested for the coronavirus in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

A total of 11,124 health care workers have tested positive which is about 11 percent of the cases.

[ Local cases, deaths reported to Ohio Department of Health ]

Cox Media Group

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