Thread by @saradannerdukic

I again did not watch the press conference yesterday, because in this crisis I need facts. In order to make the right decisions for my family, for my business, my clients, my future: I need facts.

Some compassion and competence is also needed. I do not get any of this from the daily rallies masquerading as briefs from the WH.

I DID listen to Mike DeWine’s press conference though. It is worth watching, and I’m putting the highlights here below (some of it is lightly edited for length/clarity). Here's where you can watch it too, if you want:
ohiochannel.org//

It opens with a video created by Girls Scouts thanking truck drivers for bringing us all that we need. They are giving them cookies. DeWine smiled through the whole thing. He is also wearing a blue tie in honor of National Autism Day.

Update on PPE and the private/public alliance: over 600 businesses have gone online to offer help; reminder that a lot of help is still needed: repurposingproject.com

An economic advisory board has been created. DeWine notes that throughout this crisis he has relied on medical experts, and he is also calling on experts to assist with and advise on economic recovery. Names will be posted on coronavirus.ohio.gov

Batelle has the capability to sterilize 160K N-95 masks each day. DeWine calls on all hospitals to contact them.
usatoday.com/story/news/nat…

This is the part that I think everyone - whether they live in Ohio or not - needs to hear. It’s encouragement interwoven with truth, transparency, compassion, and empathy.

DeWine says, to all Ohioans: “Thank you. Thank for what you’ve been doing. Thank you for the sacrifices you’ve been making. You’re making financial sacrifices.

You’re making personal sacrifices. Your life has changed. You’re making family sacrifices. You’re not getting to see kids, grandkids.”

DeWine then relates how he and his wife Fran visit their grandkids by either standing in the yard, or waving to them through the window.

He continues: “It’s not easy for anyone. I know many of you are now unemployed. I know many of you who have small businesses are worried about that business. Will you be able to get it started back up? I fully understand that.”

“But we have to stay in this…We have accomplished a lot; we are in a decent position…a lot better than we would have been…what you have done is saved a number of lives. But - we are still in this. This is not over with yet.”

“We don’t know when we’re going to hit the peak. Dr. Acton has advised me that somewhere between April 15 and May 15 - she can talk a little bit about that…but we know that the peak is coming. We know the surge is coming.”

“So what you have been doing is saving lives. What you have been doing also is protecting the first responders, protecting our hospital personnel, our doctors, our nurses, everyone who is caring - and will be caring in the future - for someone who has the coronavirus.”

“We’ve all seen what I would describe as horror stories coming out of New York, coming out of Italy. What you’re doing is buying time for our healthcare system to get the equipment it needs, to build out the hospital space, + to do the things necessary so that we are not overrun

…and we don’t see what we’re seeing on TV, which is hospital personnel who are just in a horrible, horrible, horrible situation.”

“We still don’t know if we can avoid that - candidly - we have a group of people from the private sector and the public sector to find the equipment, to find the N-95 masks, to find the ventilators. We have people in the manufacturing sector trying to make ventilators.”

“All of this is going on as we continue this.”

“It’s clear that we’re not going to be able to go back to normal. If that peak doesn’t come for another month, which is certainly possible, we will continue to have to stay at home. We will continue to have to do what we have to do.”

“We are in a race. What we do each day impacts our defenders. Our defenders are the people in the front line. Hospital workers, nurses, doctors, people who work in nursing homes.

They’re heroes, and in the coming weeks we’re going to see them do what they have to do. We just so very very grateful.”

There is then a pause to relate that our stay-at-home order has been extended until May 1.
governor.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov…

Later in the press conference, the first question is along the lines of “how are we supposed to do this?”

DeWine says:

“I would not make this decision if it wasn’t a matter of life and death. All the evidence shows it’s saving lives. We gotta keep this monster down.”

He then cites a study showing that communities that acted sooner with tough decisions ended up being off better economically in the long run.

(this is the study)
weforum.org/agenda/2020/04…

*better off*, not off better.

Another reporter asks a question along the lines of:

“What do you say to frustrated Ohioans who feel fine, don’t know anyone who’s sick, and wonders what the big deal is?”

DeWine’s response:

“No one in Ohio’s not frustrated. This is not how we want to live. We don’t want to live not being able to see our kids or grandkids. We don’t want to live not being able to see our friends. We don’t want to be unemployed.

This is not what we signed up for, but it is where we are.”

“And my goal for all Ohians is that we make it. That we get through this, we live through it. That we’re there when the Reds and Indians are playing again.

We’re there for the beauty of October in Ohio, which - there’s nothing better. Football in the fall…whatever you like to do, this is just a great place to live. But we’ve got to get through this.”

“What Ohioans are doing everyday is saving lives. It might be a family member’s life, it might be their life, or it might be a total stranger. We are basing these decisions on the best science we can find, the best people we can talk to…we’ve done this since we started.

We closed things when few others were closing anything.”

“We knew that if we let this go, Ohioans would pay a price later on.”

“I’m sorry. I wish it wasn’t like this. Stay with me. We’re gonna make it. We gotta get everybody - as many Ohioans as we can - through to the other side.”

Leadership. Transparency. Compassion. Empathy. This is what this whole country needs right now. I am so grateful that we have it here in Ohio.