Coronavirus Pandemic: DeWine provides update on schools

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine provided an update to the status of coronavirus in Ohio and discussing the return to schools.

The following announcements were made:

• New data was released showing Mercer, Champaign and Darke counties are the top three highest counties with highest occurrence of COVID-19 in the state. This is determined by number of cases per 100,000 people. Mercer has 293.9 cases per 100,000, Champaign has 185.2 cases per 100,000 and Darke has 164.3 cases per 100,000 people. This data takes into account numbers from July 28 to Aug. 10.
• A map released by the Ohio Department of Education shows a large area of the Miami Valley is planning on returning to 5-day in-person learning, however the urban areas of Montgomery County show several districts are planning a fully remote plan.
• DeWine said 325 public districts are planning to return to the classroom full-time, which accounts for about 38 percent of the public schools in the state.
• 55 districts, which accounts for about 25.6 percent of the state’s public schools, will be doing remote learning.
• About 24.5 percent of public school districts in Ohio are planning to do hybrid learning, with a split of remote and in-person learning.
• 78 districts in the state do not have their return plans readily available, DeWine said.
• “I think our schools are doing a very good job getting ready for in-person or virtual schooling - or both,” DeWine said. “I have every confidence that they will do everything they can to keep Ohio’s children safe - but whatever is going on in their communities will be reflected in the schools.”