COVID-19 'Perfect Storm' Endangers Ohio School Year: Gov. DeWine

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohioans now face a "perfect storm" of COVID-19 threats, Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.

With children returning to school and the delta variant sweeping through the state, Ohio faces its highest COVID-19 spread rate since February, DeWine noted. Every county in Ohio is now considered a "high-incidence" area for COVID-19 spread.

"Today, there are 1,571 of our fellow citizens hospitalized with COVID-19. This is the highest since February," DeWine said. "Additionally there are 464 people in intensive care units in Ohio, the highest number since last winter."

COVID-19 is not the common cold or the flu, said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Department of Health. He added that anyone who contracts the virus, regardless of age, could suffer severe and long-lasting consequences, including hospitalization or death.

"Some COVID-19 survivors suffer damage to their organs, such as their lungs or heart," he said. As of Tuesday, more than 63,000 Ohioans had been hospitalized during the pandemic due to COVID-19 and 20,000 Ohioans have died due to the virus.

Read more: COVID-19 In Ohio: 3,235 New Cases, Summer Hospitalization Record

"The delta variant makes you sicker quicker. It spreads like wildfire. It is now the dominant strand in Ohio, driving the troubling surges we're seeing in cases and hospitalizations," Vanderhoff said.

Additionally, the delta variant is not only a threat to adults.

"Our children's hospitals continue to see tragic cases of previously healthy children being struck down by this virus and now requiring intensive medical care," Vanderhoff added.

The governor then urged parents and school officials to have their children mask up in classrooms, and get a vaccine if they're eligible. He argued that when children mask up it stymies the ability of the virus to spread through schools.

"The best way to make sure a child can stay in school and not have their classes interrupted is to have them vaccinated. If that child cannot be vaccinated, the best way to ensure a good school year for that child is to wear a mask while in class," DeWine said.

In Florida, the governor noted, public schools in Hillsborough, near Tampa, made masking optional. As of Monday, 5,999 students and 316 staffers were isolating or in quarantine after being in close proximity to someone with COVID-19.

DeWine then spoke directly to superintendents and boards of education, urging them to institute a mandatory mask policy to start the school year. If the spread subsides, he said, the masking policy can always be repealed.

He also addressed parents, arguing that even if a school district doesn't require masks, parents can still have their children don masks.

"The best way to prevent students from missing schools or other activities is to send them to school with a mask. If they're age 12 or older, get them vaccinated just as soon as you can," DeWine said.