Wood County Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Operation Center’s Situation Report on COVID-19 Response
This April 1 report communicates Wood County Emergency Operations Center’s activity over the past 24 hours.
Executive Summary:
Gov. Mike DeWine: The Ohio Department of Health has 8 regions, Wood County is in Region 1. Surge capacity needs to be identified. This is accomplished by identifying normal capacity, surge capacity and expected number of patients based on modeling. The goal is to make sure patients get the appropriate level care they need.
The state has been divided into 3 larger regions. Our region is the entire northern part of Ohio. The Ohio Manufacturing Alliance to Combat COVID-19 was formed for additional PPE, needed equipment and supplies. The website www.repurposingproject.com has a complete list of needed items to be manufactured in Ohio.
ODH will continue to provide testing for hospitalized patients and first responders, additional hospitals are expected to become available next week to assist with testing. The new rapid tests will be used as soon as they arrive in Ohio, delivery is anticipated in the next week.
Those who receive SNAP benefits will be able to swipe their cards outside to allow click-it groceries for curbside delivery to reduce community spread.
Today is national census day, please complete your census to ensure Ohio is accurately represented. This can be accomplished through the website www.2020census.gov, phone: 844-330-2020 or by mail.
Major Presidential Declaration was declared March 31, which shifts some funding of COVID-19 from the state to the federal government. Will be signing an order to assist small businesses. This is a pause to lenders and landlords to suspend payments for 90 days.
John Husted: Small Business Order is to stop the economic spread of the COVID-19 virus. The federal government stopped the foreclosure on residential properties, and evictions through July 2020. This helps the owner of buildings who are not getting rent from businesses on hold due to the Stay at Home Order. This 90-day pause will keep the cash flowing to the employees and help to re-start the economy.
The Manufacturer Alliance allows Ohio’s manufacturers to step-up, helping Ohio get the needed supplies locally and not have to compete for them nationally. The retail and grocery stores are asking the customers: keep 6 feet distance, shop alone, stay at home when you don’t feel well, minimize trips, wash/sanitize hands before and after shopping, wear mask and gloves, shop online for home delivery or pick-up.
Dr Amy Acton: Self-awareness is important now to be kind to each other during this trying time. Please remember the people we are talking in person or on the other end of the phone have issues and stress as well. Please be considerate and understanding of others as our moods are contagious to others.
Signed an order to all hospitals not doing their own COVID-19, hospitals/labs must provide a quick turnaround. May eliminate the ability to use some private labs. Rapid testing will be used as soon as they are sent to Ohio, anticipating delivery in the next week. Working 3 shifts to get the tests turned around quicker to local health departments.
Ohio Cases: 2,547
Ohio Hospitalizations: 679
ICU admissions: 222
Ohio Deaths: 65
Hospital/healthcare worker: 20% of the cases
Wood County Cases: 15
Wood County Hospitalizations: 9
Wood County Deaths: 0
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/ .
The Wood County Commissioners passed a resolution 3-31-20 to declare a state of emergency for Wood County. This has been done in an effort to allow the EMA to apply for varying levels of disaster assistance, if available, as it relates to COVID-19.
A spreadsheet was sent out to local healthcare facilities and responders in order to assess their current inventory of PPE. This data assists the EMA with being able to plan accordingly and distribute PPE effectively. If you have not returned this form please email it back as soon as possible so we can continue to process your resource requests.
Also, please contact us if:
– If anyone has access to UVC lights to be used for disinfection
– 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. Thank you to all of those who have donated to us to date. We appreciate your generosity and kindness in working to protect our responders and healthcare workers.
Working with the National Guard, Ohio EMA and NW Ohio Hospital Coalition to identify surge capacity and County ability to respond. Coordinate with neighboring counties to maintain situational awareness of potential shortages.
Public Health:
Please see the attached information on optimizing PPE during the COVID-19 response. This “best practices” information comes from CDC and Ohio Department of Health. As we have stressed before, PPE is limited and we are not expecting to receive any large quantity of PPE in the near future. It is important anyone that uses PPE must understand the key to their protection is to utilize their PPE in the most appropriate manner.
To become part of Wood County Medical Reserve Corps. To learn more, go to http://woodcountyhealth.org/ep/mrc.html. No special skills are required and anyone 18 and older is welcome. We expect an increased need for medical volunteers soon and are especially interested in people who have health care backgrounds and certifications. To save us some time, please fill out the online application at www.ohioresponds.odh.ohio.gov
COVID-19 testing is now being reserved for individuals based on their health. The Ohio Department of Health has created a tier-based system for testing guidance.
Following are the tiers:
- Tier 1 – inpatients at hospitals and other healthcare facilities, including long-term care, with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19.
- Tier 2- Healthcare workers at Tier 1 institutions with symptoms and all individuals in public safety occupations.
- Tier 3 – Individuals with mild to moderate symptoms who are high risk – elderly, and those with serious medical problems.
- Tier 4 – Individuals with mild/moderate symptoms and without risk factors for adverse outcomes (testing currently not recommended.)
- Tier 5 – Asymptomatic individuals (testing currently not recommended.)
Healthcare:
Wood County Hospital: For their most recent updates and information on telehealth options please visit: https://www.woodcountyhospital.org/patients-visitors/most-recent-updates/?fbclid=IwAR0W9Y2kKQpqrRfcf5gXCRyfG19bUACM5WpkP1u9CHVQkl8ACQO2z6ZAEKA
Law Enforcement/Fire/EMS:
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 .
Concerns of decontamination of turnout gear have been discussed with the Wood County Health Department. As an example, wearing turnout gear on a fire alarm or injury accident and someone (citizen/patient) has been exposed to COVID-19. The only time your turnout gear will need to be decontaminated will be if you were with someone actively coughing. Being in contact with someone who has been exposed but not showing symptoms you do not need to decontaminate your gear.
Cyber/scams:
Please be aware that there are several scams going on right now involving coronavirus information and the stimulus checks. Ohio EMA reported that a scam artist was posing as their agency and asking for Social Security numbers, there have been several different scams involving stimulus checks showing up from invalidated agencies in an attempt to gather bank account information once this check is deposited, and many more phishing attempts. Please be hypervigilant that these things are occurring and protect all of your information.
Wood County Clerk of Courts:
The Governor’s order to close all but five Bureau of Motor Vehicle (BMV) offices in the state has created confusion to the public. They have called the local office, mostly frustrated and sometimes angry with questions on how to handle the expiration of driver’s licenses, license plates, I.D. cards or anything along that line. Please know that the Clerk of Court-Auto Title Office only processes “titles” (record of ownership) for all automobiles, watercraft, ATVs and Mobile Homes. If you have questions regarding these records, please continue to call the office.
On Friday, March 27, DeWine signed into law Sub. HB 197, which provided emergency measures to help deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. The bill extends the validity of licenses that expire during the declared state of emergency, March 9 through 90 days after the state of emergency ends, or Dec.1, whichever comes first. The bill defines “license” to include any license, permit, registration, or card. As such, all Ohio-issued driver licenses, temporary instruction permits, ID cards, and vehicle registrations that would expire within the time frame allocated in the bill are extended in accordance with the bill. Please contact Title Support @ 614-752-7671 with any questions.
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles:
You can do all of the following online at www.oplates.com – vehicle registration, sign up to go paperless, check availability of specialty plates, driving records, reinstatement requirement fees, check status of registration, and more.
