DeWine limits liquor sales
Governor Mike DeWine downgraded Scioto County from red health alert status to orange. This despite 22 new cases in the county in the past 24 hours. He made the announcement at Thursday’s COVID-19 press conference. He also halted the Ohio Board Of Pharmacy’s order forbidding doctors from prescribing Hydroxychloroquine to treat the symptoms of COVID-19. DeWine also asked the Ohio Liquor Control Commission to shut down alcohol sales at bars and restaurants at 10 pm nightly.
Current Ohio COVID-19 Numbers:
- New cases in the past 24 hours: 1,733
- Deaths in the past 24 hours: 20
- Total cases: 89,626
- Recovered: 64,311
Scioto County Numbers:
New cases in the past 24 hours: 22
- Total Cases: 176
- Total recovered: 104
- Deaths: 1
- Active Cases: 71
We break down all the important information in these next five slides.
End Liquor Sales At 10 pm
DeWine announced new liquor sale restrictions at bars and restaurants. He said most bars did a good job of following guidelines. However, he said, “The problem is, bars, by their nature, lend themselves to a revolving door of people in close contact, oftentimes indoors. Patrons either stay at one location, sometimes for hours or bar hop. Either way, they interact with many different people – especially the younger crowd.”
He asked the state liquor control board to force bars to stop alcohol sales at 10 pm at all establishments that serve alcohol. “The Liquor Control Commission will hold its emergency meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. If the emergency statewide administrative rule is approved, I intend to sign an Executive Order that would make it effective Friday night.”
DeWine Halts Hydroxychloroquine Order
Governor DeWine halted the Ohio Board Of Pharmacy’s order forbidding doctors from prescribing Hydroxychloroquine to treat the symptoms of COVID-19.
He said, ” I agree with the statement from Dr. Steven Hahn, Commissioner of the FDA. The decision about prescribing Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 should be between a doctor and a patient.”
DeWine called for the board to revisit the issue. “Listen to the best medical science, and open the process up for comment and testimony from experts.”
The state pharmacy board reversed the order as directed. “What they should have done was have a full hearing,” DeWine said. He clarified that as governor he does not have a position on the effectiveness of the drug. “It’s certainly beyond my expertise.
Scioto County Downgraded To Orange.
Red Alert
Factors involved in declaring a red alert include:
- Number of new cases based on the population of the county
- A sustained increase in cases
- Cases not coming from high-risk settings like nursing homes or jails
- Increase in ER visits for COVID symptoms
- Sustained Increase in Outpatient visits for COVID symptoms
- Increase in new COVID hospital admissions
- ICU occupancy rate goes above 80% for three days
Red Alert
DeWine said fewer Ohio counties are red this week. However, more are rated orange this week. Red Counties as of July 30 are:
- Franklin
- Licking
- Hamilton
- Allen
- Montgomery
- Lucas
- Cuyahoga
- Defiance
- Erie
- Henry
- Lawrence
- Marion
- Medina