Wood County Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Operation Center’s Situation Report on COVID-19 Response
This April 15 report communicates Wood County Emergency Operations Center’s activity over the past 24 hours.
Executive Summary:
Gov. Mike Dewine: Battelle Labs has expanded their sanitation service to first responders (fire/EMS/law). Beginning Friday first responders can take their masks to any Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) Post. They will be delivered to Columbus and returned in approximately three days. OSHP will be sending more information to first responders on the process.
DeWine presented a challenge to Ohio to complete the census and have a higher percentage of completion than Michigan. We are currently at 52.2% with Michigan 55%.
There are 2 additional potential COVID19 cases in Pickaway Correctional Center. Working with the prison system, 105 non-violent offenders due to be released in addition to a decrease in the current population of 311 inmates.
With the deficit of testing supplies, Wexner Medical Center OSU and Form Labs of Toledo have created synthetic testing medium and 3D printed swabs respectively. Hospital CEO’s and Ohio Hospital Association have been tasked with creating a plan to bring back non-essential related medical procedures. The plan is due next week to be reviewed by the governor for approval.
Non-essential business should begin to devise a plan to create a safe working environment for both employees and customers. They should consider reviewing policies and practices from essential businesses as a potential best practices.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted: Discussed many of the concerns of those trying to receive unemployment benefits. A case study was provided based on a question yesterday when a business where only 4 out of 40 employees have not been processed. After investigation: 3 did not meet the requirements and 8 were waiting on missing information. The current system is 2004 software and not cloud based. Prior to the pandemic there were 42 people in the call center and now have 1194. These people are also working remotely due to social distancing. While they are expanding, limitations such as trainers and physical space for training limits how fast additional staff can be added. Remember if applying for COVID19 unemployment use mass layoff number 2000180. Various improvements will be coming to the system in the next few weeks.
Dr. Amy Acton: Provide an update on the numbers below. The process being used is looking at the trends due to the way the data is received. Some of the data used is real time and some can be several weeks old. What may appear to be a sudden spike may only be how the data was reported.
For those with younger children you can go to the website www.coronavirus.ohio.gov for additional information on how to present information in a way they can understand. Parents and caregivers should understand some days will be stressful and try to be calming. If you have symptoms and they worsen, call your family doctor and if needed you should not fear going to a hospital for further care.
Ohio Confirmed Cases: 7628
Ohio Probable Cases: 163
Ohio Total Confirmed plus Probable: 7,791
Ohio Hospitalizations: 2237
ICU Admissions: 677
Ohio Confirmed COVID Deaths: 346
Ohio Probable COVID Deaths: 15
Wood County Cases (total plus probable): 67
Wood County Hospitalizations: 27
Wood County Deaths: 5
County EOC Objectives:
1. Coordinate the county’s response to limit spread of COVID-19; and maintain medical care.
2. Provide timely, clear, and consistent messaging to the public, stakeholders and media on the status of COVID-19 and actions the public can take to keep themselves safe.
3. Determine how county agencies will continue delivery of essential services to Wood County residents while following COVID-19 public health guidelines.
EMA Actions Taken/Planned Actions:
An abbreviated version of this report can be found at: http://woodcountyema.org/covid-19/ .
Continue to maintain situational awareness through frequent conversations/teleconference meetings with partners and stakeholders in the county.
Also, please contact us if:
– If any fraternal groups, service groups, faith-based groups want to sign up to be on a call list as needs arise in the county
– If you have PPE to donate, if you have any PPE needs or have any questions
Public Health:
There are 7628 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ohio. There are 67 cases (total confirmed plus probable) presently in Wood County, 27of those hospitalized, 5 deaths. 87 counties have confirmed cases now.
Health department staff are answering calls regarding testing, essential business concerns, employee safety, the stay-at-home order and many other questions.
Case follow-up and close contact tracing is being coordinated by a team of employees.
Respirator fit testing/training is being done for a few partners who have not had to consider wearing N95s in the past and do not have another source for this.
As the Regional Public Health Coordinator, employees are sharing information across the region and keeping informed of the status of other local health departments.
The Wood County Health Department has received nearly $700,000 in grant money, with use of the money still to be determined. Some of it will go to cover the costs of coronavirus testing, said Ben Batey, Wood County health commissioner, at Thursday’s board meeting. Some will go to cover payroll. A portion of grant funds will go to sustain programming and try to purchase personal protective equipment for the county.
“Anything we can get our hands on to get out to our agencies to help them to protect their health care workers and their staff,” Batey said. A large portion will go to testing for coronavirus if those kits become available. “That would be ideal for us to do some mobile testing and get out into the communities to test populations that we see have the greatest need.” At some point, a response in mass vaccinations will take some funding.
Healthcare:
If any healthcare facilities are running low on supplies, or have any questions or needs please reach out to us. We are always looking for information on what is going on in your facility so we can anticipate future needs. Please keep in close contact with us with any changes to your supply inventory or situation.
Law Enforcement/Fire/EMS:
National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week is April 12-18, 2020. Your hardworking dispatchers and other public safety telecommunicators serve as a vital link between your community and fire, medical, and law enforcement agencies.
The EMA and health department have been working with local EMS to try to provide them with much needed PPE. Please understand that the demand far outweighs the supply at this time across the entire country. This is why current guidance from the state is focused around conservation. Sharing with your neighbors is being strongly encouraged by the state as a form of mutual aid. Many PPE requests have been submitted and addressed. If you have a need, please put in a formal request in writing to: woodcountyema@co.wood.oh.us . We will need an inventory from you to process these requests if you have not yet sent this in. We also ask, that as your needs/supplies/run volumes change to let us know.
Rossford Police Department: 3 Rossford Police Officers have been isolated after being exposed to a person that displayed symptoms of Covid-19. This possible exposure occurred while making an arrest on the morning of April 14, 2020. These Officers were performing the duties they were sworn to do. Please abide by the current and future orders issued by the Governor and Department of Health. If you choose not to, you not only endanger yourself and your family, but our families as well
Wood County Board of Elections:
Please visit the BOE website for instructions on how to fill out an application for your absentee ballot. They ask that you visit the website rather than call. https://www.co.wood.oh.us/BOE/
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton ordered in-person polling locations closed March 17. As a result, the Ohio General Assembly extended the 2020 Ohio primary election until April 28 and converted to a vote-by-mail election.
Currently, Wood County Residents have requested 13,323 ballots and cast 8,043 ballots as of the close of business on Friday.
Local
Drive through food pantry Thursday, April 16, at 1526 E. Wooster St., Bowling Green, at the First United Methodist Church.
City of Perrysburg: Due to COVID-19, the city has suspended large item pickup during refuse collection in an effort to reduce exposure of the virus to city employees. However, residents may bring large items and extra trash to the Department of Public Service, located at 11980 Roachton Road. This service is available to all city residents during the COVID-19 public health emergency, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The same rules for curbside large collection items apply when dropping off large items in the dumpster (NO construction materials, flammables, tires, etc.). Please refrain from dropping off large appliances until we can resume normal refuse pick-up services. For any questions, please call the Department of Public Service at 419 872 8020 or email publicservice@ci.perrysburg.oh.us
Community members are invited to participate in the BG Quarantine Care-avan to support local businesses on Saturday. Organized by Country Roots 4-H Club, the “care-avaning” will start at the Black Swamp Curling Center, 19901 N. Dixie Hwy., at 9:45 a.m. The group will trek south on North Dixie Highway to honk and wave at open businesses between 10 a.m. and noon to express our appreciation for their commitment. The vehicle parade will travel south, turning east on Gypsy Lane Road, turning north on Dunbridge Road, west down Wooster Street, north on Wintergarden Road to Poe Road and dispersing around Haskins Road. Participating vehicles are encouraged to be decorated with positive messages, honk their horns, and obey all traffic laws. Participants are asked to not exit their vehicles and to practice social distancing guidelines with only immediate family members riding together.
Administrative Information:
Any information and contributions your agency has for this report is valuable to maintain a common operating picture and situational awareness for the county as a whole.
Please reach out to our office via phone or email (email preferred) to share information.
EOC Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Requesting support: Call Wood County EMA at 419-354-9269 or email
woodcountyema@co.wood.oh.us
ODH Call line: 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)
www.coronavirus.ohio.gov
