March 17, 2020 at 3:49 p.m.
DeWine has shown true leadership
Editorial
Life and death.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine used that phrase over and over again during his press conference Sunday.
DeWine has held daily briefings as he has consistently stepped up measures to battle what is now a coronavirus pandemic. It started Thursday with his mandate that all schools in the state be closed beginning today. On Sunday, he ordered that all bars and restaurants in Ohio be closed, with the exception of carry-out and delivery.
The goal is to limit large groups mingling together in public, an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Why?
Because this is life and death.
To be clear, DeWine isn’t the one declaring the situation as such. Nor is the media.
These are the facts as of noon Monday, as detailed by medical professionals at the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
•There are nearly 165,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide.
•The disease has resulted in 6,470 deaths.
•This strain of the virus was identified on Jan. 7, meaning these numbers have stacked up in less than three months.
Just a few hours after DeWine ordered the closure of restaurants, the CDC updated its recommendations. It is now calling for any event that of more than 50 attendees to be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
None of this is easy. Schools being closed means some may have to choose between caring for their children and going to work. Restaurants, bars and other small businesses will take a financial hit. And we’ll lose, for a while, some of the social connections that have been part of our everyday lives.
These types of measures are new and in some ways scary. But they are designed to protect us all, especially our most vulnerable, and to minimize the strain on our healthcare system.
What can you do to help?
•Work from home if you are able.
•Help provide food and/or child care to neighbors who can’t work from home
•Stay home as much as possible (There are a lot of available resources of entertainment and education, some of which will be detailed in Wednesday’s newspaper).
•Continue to patronize local businesses safely (order delivery or carry-out food, for example).
Some will call DeWine’s moves, and our advice in the above paragraphs, overreactions. They may be right.
But in a situation like this, it is better to overreact than underreact. Discretion is the better part of valor.
If these measures turn out to be overreactions, they can be lifted and we can return to normal life.
But if we underreact, the potential result is more illnesses and deaths that could have been prevented.
DeWine is doing what a leader does, taking decisive action under pressure.
This truly is a life-and-death situation.
Take it seriously. Act responsibly. Help your neighbors.
By following DeWine’s lead, we can minimize deaths and help our lives get back to normal as soon as possible. — R.C.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine used that phrase over and over again during his press conference Sunday.
DeWine has held daily briefings as he has consistently stepped up measures to battle what is now a coronavirus pandemic. It started Thursday with his mandate that all schools in the state be closed beginning today. On Sunday, he ordered that all bars and restaurants in Ohio be closed, with the exception of carry-out and delivery.
The goal is to limit large groups mingling together in public, an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Why?
Because this is life and death.
To be clear, DeWine isn’t the one declaring the situation as such. Nor is the media.
These are the facts as of noon Monday, as detailed by medical professionals at the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
•There are nearly 165,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide.
•The disease has resulted in 6,470 deaths.
•This strain of the virus was identified on Jan. 7, meaning these numbers have stacked up in less than three months.
Just a few hours after DeWine ordered the closure of restaurants, the CDC updated its recommendations. It is now calling for any event that of more than 50 attendees to be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
None of this is easy. Schools being closed means some may have to choose between caring for their children and going to work. Restaurants, bars and other small businesses will take a financial hit. And we’ll lose, for a while, some of the social connections that have been part of our everyday lives.
These types of measures are new and in some ways scary. But they are designed to protect us all, especially our most vulnerable, and to minimize the strain on our healthcare system.
What can you do to help?
•Work from home if you are able.
•Help provide food and/or child care to neighbors who can’t work from home
•Stay home as much as possible (There are a lot of available resources of entertainment and education, some of which will be detailed in Wednesday’s newspaper).
•Continue to patronize local businesses safely (order delivery or carry-out food, for example).
Some will call DeWine’s moves, and our advice in the above paragraphs, overreactions. They may be right.
But in a situation like this, it is better to overreact than underreact. Discretion is the better part of valor.
If these measures turn out to be overreactions, they can be lifted and we can return to normal life.
But if we underreact, the potential result is more illnesses and deaths that could have been prevented.
DeWine is doing what a leader does, taking decisive action under pressure.
This truly is a life-and-death situation.
Take it seriously. Act responsibly. Help your neighbors.
By following DeWine’s lead, we can minimize deaths and help our lives get back to normal as soon as possible. — R.C.
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