As Ohio continues to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Mike DeWine has signed a bill to address some of the state's concerns relating to the complications it has caused.
On Friday, DeWine began his daily coronavirus address by signing House Bill 197. A bipartisan bill, House Bill 197 addresses a number of issues that have arisen from Ohio's effort to fight the coronavirus, including, among other measures, waiving regulations on schools, teachers and students around requirements that formerly had to happen in person, ensuring that state and local governments operate safely and in full transparency for the public and extending the income tax deadline until July 15.
As of Friday, Ohio has had 1,137 positive coronavirus cases, 276 of which have resulted in hospitalization and 19 deaths. Dating back to Ohio's discovery of its first positive coronavirus case, DeWine has put several measures in place to encourage social distancing in an effort to flatten the curve of the virus, including a stay-at-home order that went into effect this past Monday evening.
On Thursday, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton shared the first projection of the state's curve, which currently forecasts that Ohio will peak with between 6,000-8,000 new cases around late-April.