Childcare providers in Ohio will be able to re-open on Sunday, May 31 with reduced numbers of children in each classroom and intensified cleaning and handwashing practices, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday afternoon.
“Our goal is to have the safest child care system in the nation,” said DeWine. “One that nurtures the health and continued growth and development of our children and one that protects the health and safety of our child care workers and teachers.
“Moving forward, childcare is going to look different for children, parents, and teachers as long as COVID-19 is around. But we must get this right, or we run the risk of exposing more individuals.”
DeWine added, “We know that Ohio’s childcare providers will need assistance as they reopen. Ohio is utilizing more than $60 million in federal CARES Act funding to provide reopening grants to all of Ohio’s childcare providers.”
BMV’s and gyms
Ohio Lt. Gov Jon Husted said Bureau of Motor Vehicle offices around the state will reopen on May 26 for certain services. Services that can be accomplished online should still be done online — visit http://oplates.com for more info on online services.
Husted also said gyms and fitness centers can reopen on May 26 if they can meet safety protocols.
Also, he reiterated that campground that meet safety protocols may open May 21.
For more details, visit the state COVID-19 website at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov . Most new details were to be posted by Thursday afternoon or Friday.
The numbers
Clinton County officials report that the county has had 32 confirmed COVID-19 cases and five probable ones for a total of 37 — 19 men and 18 women — as of Thursday morning.
Thirty-two people have recovered; and as of this date no Clinton Countians are hospitalized with the virus.
The State of Ohio’s totals as of Thursday afternoon are: 26,357 total cases (including probable cases) comprised of 54 percent males and 46 percent women, with 4,718 hospitalizations and 1,268 ICU admission, with 1,534 deaths.
1.16M jobless claims
For the week ending May 9, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) reported 51,125 initial jobless claims to the U.S. Department of Labor. The number of initial jobless claims filed in Ohio over the last eight weeks is 1,169,694 — more than the combined total of those filed during the last three years.
Over these last eight weeks, ODJFS has distributed more than $2.4 billion in unemployment compensation payments to more than 587,000 claimants.
Of the more than 1 million applications the agency has received, 90 percent have been processed, with only 10 percent pending.
ODJFS urges individuals to file their claims online, if possible, at unemployment.ohio.gov.
