CLEVELAND — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has used a mask mandate, a night-time curfew, public service announcements, and passionate pleas from doctors, nurses, and leading health experts, but the growing spread of COVID-19 continues.
The governor announced a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations on Nov. 23, according to data from the Ohio Hospital Association.
The Governor said Ohio now stands at 4,358 hospitalizations, which is a 58% increase, compared to just two weeks ago. The state also registered 1079 patients in intensive care due to COVID-19 statewide.
Dr. Robert Wiley with the Cleveland Clinic said the growing number of cases is really starting to have an impact on the hospital system in Northeast Ohio and is even spreading-out the equipment needed to treat the virus.
“All of us are starting to be stretched, we are trying to balance the load as best we can," Wiley said.
“We saw for the first time that we are starting to transfer ventilators and high flow oxygen equipment because people are actually running out."
Dr. Claudia Hoyen, Director of Infection Control at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, told News 5 the governor's night curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. will take a few weeks to show an impact.
Hoyen said personal sacrifice in closely following COVID-19 safety protocols this holiday season is a crucial way to cause this Coronavirus spike to finally plateau.
“Anything that we institute, it’s going to lag, because the numbers with this always lag," Hoyen said.
“Hang in there is what I have to say, and be patient. Again, this is one Thanksgiving and one Christmas out of your whole life.”
“We have to comply and let kids go back to school, and we want parents to be at work, and we don’t want our economy to tank.”
“I just canceled my family plans with my brother from Wisconsin.”
Michael Miller, Vice President of Cleveland's Music Box Supper Club, agreed personal sacrifices are needed to curtail the virus, with his business voluntarily canceling its concert schedule into January because of COVID-19 safety concerns
“In a pandemic, it’s not the right thing to be doing, and so we decided to do the right thing and take a pause," Miller said.
“We have postponed all of our December shows and the first two weeks of January.”
“Keep your eye on the prize, we are not that far away from this literally coming to an end.”
“This really is a gift you can give somebody, don't see it as a penalty. That’s how we’re looking at closing down the Music Box, this is a gift to our staff, it’s a gift to our customers.”
