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The Columbus Dispatch
Gov. Mike DeWine: School closures could be extended; restaurants, bars could be closed
By Randy Ludlow
Gov. Mike DeWine believes Ohio’s classrooms may not be able to reopen
this spring to complete the school year as the state’s number of
coronavirus cases continues to spiral.
And, the governor also disclosed in a round of appearances on Sunday
morning national political talk shows that he is looking at potentially
closing restaurants and bars across Ohio.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning, DeWine was
asked by host Brianna Keilar if his ordered three-week closure of
schools could be extended.
“Absolutely. Absolutely,” DeWine replied, a day after Ohio’s confirmed
cases of COVID-19 doubled to 26, including the first case in Columbus.
Two more cases in Franklin County were confirmed Sunday morning shortly
after DeWine spoke, bringing the tentative statewide total to 28.
“We’ve informed the superintendents while we close schools for
three weeks, that the odds are that this is going to go on a lot longer
and it would not surprise me at all if schools did not open again this
year,” the governor said.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Chuck Todd asked DeWine if he is
considering ordering the closure of restaurants and bars in response to
the pandemic.
“We’re certainly looking at that,” DeWine replied. He offered no other details.
“These are tough decisions. We’re inconveniencing people and make
people’s lives change, but we’ve got to save lives. Everything we’re
doing is to save lives” he said. “We’re taking tough steps.”
Comment was being sought from the Ohio Restaurant Association. It has
advised restaurants to adjust seating and eliminate tables to promote
social distancing. It also has recommended that salad bars and buffets
be closed.
In a a tweet in response to The Dispatch story, Ohio House Speaker
Larry Householder, R-Glenford, encouraged DeWine to consider setting a
limit on the number of people allowed in restaurants and taverns. “This
would allow these businesses to remain open and may even help spread
the business around in our communities,” he wrote.
Schools across Ohio have been ordered to close at the end of classes on
Monday amid the state’s public-health emergency to check the spread of
the virus.
DeWine said the pandemic could well extend into May to potentially
imperil the reopening of schools before the school year ends that month
or in June.
The unwanted school holiday idles nearly 1.7 million school children,
leaving many working parents scrambling to secure child care while some
schools move to distance learning. Questions remain about required
testing, make-up days, and for high school seniors, graduation.
DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton, state health director, also have forbidden gatherings of more than 100 people.
“The most important thing we can do ... is to try to flatten this
curve. We’re doing the things to try to keep people apart,” DeWine said
on CNN.
The governor said while they are only expert estimates, more than
100,000 Ohioans could be infected with COVID-19 and servings as
carriers of the infectious disease.
DeWine said 40% to 70% of Ohioans could end up contacting the virus,
which is most deadly to the elderly with pre-existing health
conditions. Ohio has recorded no deaths.
“And the point of that was just to illustrate to people that we have
got a lot of people walking around in Ohio who are positive who’ve not
been tested. Some don’t know it. Some may never know it. So, this is
all to explain to people how fast that this moves,” he said.
“What I have learned from talking with the experts is, it’s not just
one thing. You have got to do a lot of different things. And you have
got to do them early. And that’s what — that’s what we’re trying to do
in Ohio.”
What Keilar described as Ohio’s “aggressive actions” have been hailed across the nation by commentators and elected officials.
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