State’s nursing homes hit hard

Deaths account for nearly 70% of Ohio’s overall total

COLUMBUS » Nursing home residents continue to make up the vast majority of coronavirus-related deaths in Ohio, according to new Department of Health statistics.

At least 1,246 residents of Ohio’s long-term care facilities have died as of Wednesday from the virus, or nearly 70% of the total COVID-19 deaths statewide, the data show.

As nursing home fatalities continue to rise, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has promised a plan to ramp up testing in long-term care facilities, including the deployment of 14 teams of Ohio National Guard members to assist with the testing.

The latest data arrived as Ohio was hit with both good and bad news. This year’s Ohio State Fair, scheduled in July and August, was canceled Thursday to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But Thursday also marked the day when indoor restaurant dining restarted, along with staying at campgrounds. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted also announced training for all sports, including contact sports like football, can resume May 26. Wedding receptions are now allowed again as well, with limits of 300 people and subject to the same social distancing rules governing bars and restaurants. The nursing home death toll includes 877 reported since mid-April in facilities identified in 38 counties. Those are on top of the deaths of 369 residents who died earlier when Ohio recorded only whether an individual had been in a nursing home. The state says 14 National Guard teams of 10 members each will assist the Health Department with testing, with teams consisting of medically qualified Ohio Air and Army guard personnel including medics and nurses. Nationally, outbreaks in nursing homes and longterm care facilities have claimed more then 32,000 lives, according to a count by The Associated Press. Last week, the White House strongly recommended to governors that all residents and staff at long-term care facilities be tested for the coronavirus in the next two weeks. DeWine said then that it was unlikely in Ohio, arguing the state had a responsible plan without widespread testing. Meanwhile, the state reported Thursday that more than 1.2 million people filed unemployment claims in the past nine weeks as Ohio’s stay-at-home order depressed the economy and led to widespread layoffs. For the week ending May 16, just over 46,000 people filed jobless claims, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. That’s down from the approximately 51,000 claims filed the previous week. The numbers announced Thursday pushed total unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic to 1,215,756, above the total number of claims over the past three years. The state says it has now distributed more than $2.8 billion in unemployment checks to more than 619,000 claimants. Nationally, more than 2.4 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week. The unemployment numbers were released as Ohio restaurants were set to offer indoor dining again Thursday after a two-month shutdown. Campgrounds are also reopening. Horse racing begins again Friday, but without spectators. Restaurants that allow diners inside must provide proper social distancing and other safety measures. The Ohio Restaurant Association says seven in 10 restaurants plan to reopen Thursday or soon after. “Welcome back everyone!” said a chalkboard greeting at Abner’s Restaurant in Hilliard in suburban Columbus on Thursday, WSYX-TV reported. Restaurants could offer outdoor dining beginning May 15, which led to some scenes of overcrowded patios in cities around Ohio and a warning from Gov. Mike DeWine that police officers and health investigators will be making safety checks as part of beefed up enforcement teams.