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'Every indicator is bad': DeWine says Ohio's COVID-19 data trends could put state in big trouble

'Every indicator is bad': DeWine says Ohio's COVID-19 data trends could put state in big trouble
THE NUMBERS KEEP GOING UP. THE WORRY FROM OHIO’S GOVERNOR KEEPS GOING HIGHER. >> EVERY INDICATOR IS BAD. EVERYONE’S GOING THE WRONG WAY. JOHN: HAMILTON COUNTY IS FLIRTING WITH THE PURPLE ZONE. ALONG WITH BUTLER, WARREN AND SOME OTHERS, IT IS RED ON THE STATE’S ALERT MAP MEANING VERY HIGH EXPOSURE AND SPREAD. PURPLE WOULD INDICATE SEVERE EXPOSURE AND SPREAD. IN AN INTERVIEW TONIGHT, THE GOVERNOR LOOKED AHEAD AT THE STORM THAT MIGHT BE COMING. >> IT’S JUST GOING TO GET REALLY BAD. REALLY BAD. PAND WE’RE GOING TO SEE OUR HOSPITALS OVERFLOWING. AND WE’RE GOING TO LOOK LIKE ITALY. WE’LL LOOK LIKE SOME OF THOSE OTHER COUNTRIES WHEN THIS THING REALLY, REALLY HIT. WE DON’T WANT THAT. WE HAVE IT WITHIN OUR OWN HANDS TO AVOID THAT. JOHN: DEWINE SAYS TOO MANY OHIOANS ARE GATHERING WITHOUT MASKS AND ENCROACHING ON SOCIAL DISTANCE SPACE. HE ACKNOWLEDGES IT’S NOT SPREADING IN SCHOOLS, BUT WITHIN SOCIAL SETTINGS AFTER SCHOOL HOURS. AND THAT RURAL COUNTIES AROUND HAMILTON ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT SPREAD THAT HE’S MONITORING CLOSELY. >> FOR ANYONE WATCHING THIS TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY CONTROL OUR OWN DESTINY. THIS VIRUS IS NOT GOING TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO SLOW DOWN. IT’S ONLY GOING TO SLOW DOWN IF WE CHANGE WHAT WE DO. JOHN: PURPLE WOULD MEAN YOU GO OUT ONLY IF NECESSARY. I ASKED THE GOVERNOR IF THAT WOULD INVOLVE A STATE MANDATE OR MERELY A STRONG SUGGESTION.
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'Every indicator is bad': DeWine says Ohio's COVID-19 data trends could put state in big trouble
Ohio's governor made another appeal for a common mission to stop the spread of coronavirus within the state's borders Wednesday night.In a one-on-one interview, Mike DeWine said a storm is coming in the weeks and months ahead if Ohioans don't do their part.The governor told us no Ohio county will bleed over from red to purple at the end of this week. But he said he will know by the time of his Thursday afternoon statewide briefing which counties could go purple next week. And according to local health officials, Hamilton County is close.Health Director Greg Kesterman said Wednesday it meets five of the seven indicators that would raise the alert level to purple, including rising new cases and hospitalizations. As the numbers keep going up, the overall worry keeps going higher."Every indicator is bad," DeWine told us. "Every one's going the wrong way."Hamilton County is flirting with the purple zone.Along with Butler, Warren and some others, it is red on the state's alert map meaning "very high exposure and spread." Purple would indicate "severe exposure and spread."The governor described what he does not want to see in November and December, suggesting the trend could put the state in what he called big trouble."We're going to see our hospitals overflowing and we're going to look like Italy. We'll look like some of those other countries when this thing really, really hit. We don't want that. We have it within our own hands to avoid that," pleaded DeWine.He believes too many Ohioans are gathering without masks and encroaching on social distance space.He acknowledged it's not spreading in schools, but within social settings after school hours. And DeWine noted rural counties around Hamilton are also experiencing significant spread that he's monitoring closely. "We really control our own destiny," the governor said again. "This virus is not going to slow down because we want it to slow down. It's only going to slow down if we change what we do."Purple would mean you go out only if necessary. When asked if that would involve a state mandate or merely a strong suggestion, he replied "I don't know yet."

Ohio's governor made another appeal for a common mission to stop the spread of coronavirus within the state's borders Wednesday night.

In a one-on-one interview, Mike DeWine said a storm is coming in the weeks and months ahead if Ohioans don't do their part.

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The governor told us no Ohio county will bleed over from red to purple at the end of this week. But he said he will know by the time of his Thursday afternoon statewide briefing which counties could go purple next week.

And according to local health officials, Hamilton County is close.

Health Director Greg Kesterman said Wednesday it meets five of the seven indicators that would raise the alert level to purple, including rising new cases and hospitalizations.

As the numbers keep going up, the overall worry keeps going higher.

"Every indicator is bad," DeWine told us. "Every one's going the wrong way."

Hamilton County is flirting with the purple zone.

Along with Butler, Warren and some others, it is red on the state's alert map meaning "very high exposure and spread." Purple would indicate "severe exposure and spread."

The governor described what he does not want to see in November and December, suggesting the trend could put the state in what he called big trouble.

"We're going to see our hospitals overflowing and we're going to look like Italy. We'll look like some of those other countries when this thing really, really hit. We don't want that. We have it within our own hands to avoid that," pleaded DeWine.

He believes too many Ohioans are gathering without masks and encroaching on social distance space.

He acknowledged it's not spreading in schools, but within social settings after school hours. And DeWine noted rural counties around Hamilton are also experiencing significant spread that he's monitoring closely.

"We really control our own destiny," the governor said again. "This virus is not going to slow down because we want it to slow down. It's only going to slow down if we change what we do."

Purple would mean you go out only if necessary. When asked if that would involve a state mandate or merely a strong suggestion, he replied "I don't know yet."