COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine held a press conference Tuesday regarding the continued rise in COVID cases throughout Ohio. Officials from multiple children hospitals joined in the conference to share what they have been seeing in their facilities.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, along with others throughout the state made calls to local school districts in Ohio, asking for districts to mandate masks.
DeWine said 54% of Ohio school districts currently require masking.
Since August 15, officials say 29,000 school-aged children have tested positive for COVID-19.
“The data is clear, there is a significant difference between districts that require masks and those that don’t,” said Governor DeWine.
“25% of all COVID-19 cases in Ohio are kids,” said Debbie Feldman, President & CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital.
Hospitals across the state have made a plea to the general public to do their part by getting vaccinated and masking up.
The Guardian reported Adena Health Systems along with Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) is struggling to keep up with the current influx of patients.
“We are preparing to open our fourth COVID Unit to address this ongoing surge. We are doing everything in our power to provide care to our community, but we desperately need your help,” said officials with S.O.M.C in Portsmouth.
Gubernatorial candidate and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley called for DeWine to issue an order.
“Governor DeWine has the power to mandate masks in schools statewide. Enough is enough. Stop passing the buck. It’s time to take action to keep our kids safe and in school learning,” Nan said on Tuesday.
Yesterday, Nan held a virtual roundtable with moms from across Ohio whose families have been directly impacted by Governor DeWine’s refusal to issue a statewide school mask mandate. The moms shared personal stories about how their families have been affected by the lack of mask mandates, leaving them with no viable option except to put their children at unnecessary risk and even school closures.
Almost a month ago, Nan called on Governor DeWine to issue a statewide school mask mandate, citing rising cases of the Delta variant and current CDC guidance. Notably, DeWine’s rationale for refusing to institute a mask mandate has shifted dramatically.