As Ohio continues the process of reopening its economy amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Governor Mike DeWine announced on Tuesday that health providers may resume all surgeries and procedures that had previously been delayed.
In doing so, DeWine laid out the following five guidelines for health providers in the state:
- Maintain adequate inventories of personal protective equipment (PPE), supplies, equipment, and medicine
- Create a plan for conservation and monitoring use of PPE, other supplies, and equipment, that could include decontamination and reuse
- Maintain a reliable supply chain to support non-COVID-19 cases and to respond to an unexpected surge in COVID-19 cases, if needed.
- Define processes for timely COVID-19 testing of patients and staff
- Continuing to use telehealth whenever possible
In an effort to conserve PPE and hospital space to deal with the coronavirus, DeWine had previously issued an order banning elective surgeries on March 17. On May 1, DeWine allowed for medical procedures that didn't require an overnight hospital stay to be performed.