COLUMBUS — As Ohio schools prepare to reopen for the new academic year, Gov. Mike DeWine had a clear message on Tuesday.
The greater the spread of COVID-19 in a community will equal the spread of coronavirus in that community’s schools.
“My plea to parents, to grandparents, to everyone today is that if we want our kids to go to school in person, to play sports, to be in extracurricular activities – it’s up to all of us to cut down the spread in our communities. Wear masks, social distance, avoid large gatherings,” DeWine said during a press briefing.
“It’s incumbent on all of us to do everything we can to keep down the spread in the community where that school is,” the governor said.
DeWine said 325 of the state’s school districts plan to reopen with full-time, in-person learning. He said that represents about 590,000 students or roughly about 38 percent of the total student population in Ohio.
The governor said 55 districts (398,000 students, 26 percent) plan to begin the 2020-2021 year with online only education. He said 154 districts (380,000 students, 25 percent) will have some mixture of in-person and online education.
He said 78 districts had not indicated a decision as of a few days ago. The figures also didn’t include 167,000 students attended chartered private schools and 103,000 in community schools.
The governor said districts are making their own decisions.
“I think our schools are doing a very good job getting ready for in-person or virtual schooling — or both. I have every confidence that they will do everything they can to keep Ohio’s children safe – but whatever is going on in their communities will be reflected in the schools,” he said.
DeWine introduced three leaders of pediatric medicine around the state — Dr. John Barnard, Nationwide Children’s Hospitals chief of pediatrics; Dr. Patricia Manning, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chief of staff; and Dr. Adam Mezoff, Dayton Children’s Hospital chief medical officer.
All three doctors talked about the fact children do contract the virus and stressed the need for masks students return to school, as well as social distancing, washing their hands and symptom monitoring.
“It can be a very serious disease in children. Fortunately, most children do reasonably well with their symptoms,” Barnard said. “Ninety percent do exceedingly well. 10 percent or less get sick and need to be hospitalized.”
Barnard, who said COVID-19 appears to be four to six times more prevalent in children of color, said as of 7 a.m. Tuesday no children were being treated in intensive care units at any of the state’s children’s hospitals.
DeWine made no announcement regarding fall high school sports in the state.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there were 1,095 new positive COVID-19 tests in the last 24 hours, below the 21-day average of 1,220. There have been 102,826 positive tests since the pandemic reached Ohio in March.
The state reported 35 deaths in the last 24 hours, above the 21-day average of 23.
