Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife Fran have been exposed to COVID-19.
In an emailed alert to media Wednesday, DeWine says that two staff members recently tested positive for the coronavirus. Because he and his wife were exposed to those staff members, they will decline public appearances and events through Sunday, Nov. 7.
The alert does not indicate if the DeWines will avoid other staff members and contractors, as well, or what measures the staffers with COVID-19 are taking.
DeWine adds that he and his wife have tested negative for COVID-19 and will continue daily testing. They have no symptoms and have been fully vaccinated plus have gotten boosters, he says
As of early Nov. 4, DeWine has not yet mentioned his COVID-19 exposure on Twitter.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, there have been more than 750,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States, according to data from research institution Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads all global countries in coronavirus deaths.
In Ohio alone, there have been nearly 25,000 COVID-19 deaths, the Buckeye State’s coronavirus portal shows.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) labels all counties within Ohio as “high risk” for COVID-19 transmission — a designation that has been in place for months since the Delta variant’s summer and early-fall surge. Only about 55% of Ohio’s population has started a COVID-19 vaccine series, and only 51% are fully vaccinated (two doses for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, one dose for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine). Nearly 805,000 additional doses have been doled out within the state.
Find COVID-19 vaccine information and locations in Ohio at coronavirus.ohio.gov.
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This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 9, 2021.