Thread by @GeoffWSYX6

#NEW: as @GovMikeDeWine addresses COVID-19 and extending Ohio’s statewide curfew, he has more than TEN doctors and nurses from all over Ohio lined up to speak on the briefing.

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff:
“Five out of 8 of (Ohio’s) regions are tripping indicator 7 (ICU bed occupancy)...they are very busy with critical volumes of COVID-19.”

New map 👇

https://twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine/status/1337111908785254403

DeWine: "We cannot afford...to further overwhelm our hospitals and healthcare providers with a holiday tsunami.

We need to take personal responsibility for what we do, and do not do, over the next 21 days."

DeWine says Christmas season is "so much bigger" than Thanksgiving.

DeWine: "COVID-19 is the single biggest physical threat to all Ohioans...as governor, I took an oath...to protect the health & wellbeing of Ohioans. Doing this has required some tough and unpleasant decisions. I understand these decisions have impacted Ohioans in so many ways."

DeWine: "I truly believe that you and your family deserve some normalcy. That's what we all long for. There are things that each of us can do in the next 21 days to help us have some normal living...but to do it in safe ways."

#DEVELOPING: from @GovMikeDeWine: "I've asked 12 doctors to join us today, to walk us through the 'Stay Safe Ohio' protocols that @OHdeptofhealth is issuing today."

He says the doctors have developed this new protocol.

Here comes an avalanche of rapid-fire from the doctors on the briefing...

Dr. Dan Simon of University Hospitals in Cleveland: "Please stay home. Only go out for medical care, food, work....you can do it. We need your help, because we want to be here when you need us. Please stay home."

Dr. Fareedah Goodwin-Capers at Mercy Health in Warren: "Wear your mask...the mask offers a simple barrier to prevent respiratory droplets from reaching others. You must cover your nose and mouth for this to be effective. Consistent mask use will help prevent spread."

Dr. Jodi Jeromi, Ass. Dean of Curriculum at OU Osteopathic Medicine: "Please keep your distance (didn't catch the rest)."

Dr. Susan Crawford at Lima Memorial Health System: "The CDC says (hand-washing) is one of the most important things you can do to protect...your loved ones from serious illness.

Avoid touching your face, nose, mouth & mask when you're out and have dirty hands."

Dr. Roberto Colon, Miami Valley Hospital: "We want to encourage everybodyto be working from home...a way to reduce work-related exposures.

There are many benefits that may come from being able to work from home...flexibility and autonomy, healthier diets, ability to exercise."

Dr. Virginia Halachanova, Paulding Co. Hospitals: "We are getting very close to vaccination...but until this happens, we need to slow transmission of this virus.

This will help decrease the death rate from COVID, and COVID-related complications."

Dr. Jeniffer Forrester at UC Health: "What better way to show that you care (at the holidays) then by keeping each other safe and healthy...this is truly a matter of life and death. All of us have a role to play in helping to save lives...by celebrating small this year."

Dr. Dan Breece, Emergency Physician in Marietta: "We really want everyone not to eat/drink with anyone outside your household...(says it's most dangerous for spread). If you do need to get meals out, curbside service, drive-thru windows and takeout really are your best options."

I missed one...

now Dr. Brian Kaminski at ProMedica in Toledo: "A lot of these clusters we're seeing involve groups of people and families getting together...we would ask to postpone them if they can be postponed. If they absolutely must happen...limit the size."

Dr. Stacy Meeks, from hospital in Belmont County: "As holiday comes up...use common sense when it comes to gatherings. Virtual holiday stuff can be done, if possible...especially for the more vulnerable this year. Drive-thru light shows, things like that."

Nurse Jennifer Duncan, NP in Jackson County: "Please celebrate your Christmas holiday at home this year...people are still having heart attacks, strokes...if ER's are overwhelmed with COVID, it makes it hard to take care of you or a loved one with a different type of emergency."

Now back to @GovMikeDeWine for more on extending Ohio curfew order: "We took this approach to encourage Ohioans to reduce unnecessary contacts with others outside their household...we believe the curfew, along with the enforcement of mask-wearing in retail...have had an impact."

#BREAKING: Ohio's new curfew order to be in place tonight & lasts ANOTHER three weeks, until January 2nd.

10PM-5AM: no unecessary, non-essential travel. Work and related travel permitted. Restaurants/bars and most retail will close. Grocery stores, gas stations etc remain open.

DeWine on sports: "To be really honest and frank, the biggest threat from these games is not what goes on inside the stadium...the biggest threat is people who have the urge to gather with friends inside their homes."

DeWine (cont'd): "To those who might be thinking (of doing that)...we would ask you to please re-think that.

Sporting events are important to many, especially in Ohio...but I ask that you enjoy these events responsibly."

The curfew will come with a variance, so that fans may attend @Browns game & other approved sporting events that may end outside the curfew.

Fast-moving briefing, wasn't even able to update until now: 11,738 new COVID cases today but the test positivity rate dropped a bit, to 15.8% on a 7-day average (was 16.1%).

Hospitalizations remain above 5k, ICU's went slightly down, ventilator cases went slightly up.

In Q&A, DeWine urges to support restaurants by only eating a table with your immediate family, OR do take-out/curbside/drive-thru pickup.

DeWine is asked about federal funding: would it change the way he handles health orders if there was more coming to help businesses? "Yes, it might...I don't know if it *will* impact anything, we don't even know what's in the bill..."

DeWine (cont'd): "The bill passed in the spring from Congress has done a phenomenal amount of good, getting money directly into the economy...we're now moving into the most crucial time we have, without that safety net. And we need it."

DeWine is asked if vaccination is on-schedule: "We don't know exactly, we have to wait for approval...they have assured us a shipment will be made almost immediately.

We've picked 10 hospitals...which could handle then sub-freezing temps (which the @pfizer vaccine needs)."

DeWine is asked about Harvard data, showing a delay in vaccination for already-infected people could speed the herd immunity process: "I'm going to wait until we have people who can analyze that article...that is *not* what the @CDCgov is recommending today."

DeWine is asked if curfew success has been consistent all over & whether struggles occurred: "I really don't know that we've seen a difference...you're trying to accomplish something by doing a number of things, and you never know what works for sure. You kind of guess at it."

DeWine (cont'd) says masking is better than 3 weeks ago too: "We are now running better than 90% mask compliance...those things came together at the same time, and it's impossible to pull out the impact...what percentage each one had. All those coming together made a difference."

But, DeWine says, "we know we're going to see more hospitalizations, more usage of the ICU's."

DeWine on how he'd like to respond in an ideal world: "In an ideal world, we'd be doing what we're doing...(it's) what we need to do, to set up into the new year.

With a vaccine on the way, it would seem to be almost an extra tragedy if someone gets COVID now & doesn't survive."

I asked DeWine what #'s show slowdown for COVID & what supports curfew...

- Ohio set daily case record Tues. (even w/o added testing backlog) & got close again today
- Test positivity *just* had 1st drop since 9/24

He said it's not a slowdown; it's slowed increase. No numbers.

DeWine still doesn't know where prisoners will fall in the order of vaccination. Marion Correctional & Pickaway Correctional have had largest COVID outbreaks in the state.

DeWine says team haven't gotten past the phase 1 of vaccinations yet (healthcare workers, nursing homes).

DeWine is asked abt changes to indoor sports & when relatives can see loved ones in nursing homes *once* they're vaccinated. On Part 2: "We don't know...we have visitation, it's limited visitation."

There is a House bill to make family of those in homes "essential caregivers."

On winter sports, DeWine says superintendents urge him both *not* to make a uniform decision, AND to do just that: "We have asked the schools to be very careful..." he still supports having just parents come and see their kids play.

DeWine is asked how much of science & medical info from experts is driving him to make decisions VS. the human nature of wanting to 'do something': "I'm not much good at doing introspection of what makes me tick...the earlier/faster you can move, the better off you are.

DeWine (cont'd): "For example, the curfew...is based upon science, not upon 'a curfew was put in place at this time, and there was this drop' — although there might be evidence of that.

Then later: "You make these decisions on the best evidence you can."

DeWine (cont'd): "All of these things kind of get mixed in and we make decisions that we hope will make a difference, but does not hopefully destroy people's lives."

To end the briefing, @FranDeWine joins to talk about food scarcity & food banks, and shares a video about @OHNationalGuard helping with the effort to distribute food.

They also give flowers to the people in line, "as a little pick-me-up."

First Lady @FranDeWine: "Since March, the @OHNationalGuard has distributed more than 75 million pounds of food around Ohio."

Food bank locations available at ohiofoodbanks.org/foodbanks/

Governor DeWine ends the briefing, but does not share a date when he'll return for the next one.

We expect that will be on Monday, as has been usual during the Legislature's lame duck session.