Business Journal to Carry Gov. DeWine’s Address to Ohioans Tonight

COLUMBUS, Ohio – With the daily number of new coronavirus cases in the state hitting record levels with increasing frequency, Gov. Mike DeWine will address Ohioans at 5:30 p.m.

The speech, DeWine’s first evening address since the second surge of COVID-19 in July, can be watched on this page.

On Tuesday, the Ohio Department of Health reported a record 6,933 new cases in the previous 24 hours, a number significantly higher than the previous record of 5,549 set Sunday. The day before, leaders from some of Ohio’s hospitals – including the Cleveland Clinic and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center – said their systems were at risk of being overwhelmed by the surge.

“It’s not limitations of safety supplies or physical beds, but because we’re exhausting the available supply of trained personnel,” said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer of the Ohio Department of Health. “These nurses, physicians, pharmacists and other health-care providers live in our communities. They can’t escape the impact of rising COVID numbers in their communities. When they have to quarantine, they can’t be bedside.”

Earlier on Monday, Pfizer announced early testing of its COVID-19 vaccine showed success in 90% of cases. If the vaccine is ready, the first doses are expected to be administered later this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control, though those would be for the most severe cases. Mass distribution is likely to happen next spring and summer.

However, according to ProPublica, the vaccine is “unusually difficult to ship and store,” which could lead to problems with distribution in rural areas where cases are spiking.

Pictured: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks during an interview at the Governor’s Residence in Columbus, Ohio. AP Photo/John Minchillo, File

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.