Yes, worry about those around you
While many Ohio residents may spent much of last week watching the colors change on a different map, the aftermath of the general election was playing out while our state and the nation were in the continued grip of the surging COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, Gov. Mike DeWine named a new director for the Ohio Department of Health. Stephanie McCloud is the former director of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. While it might raise eyebrows that her most recent experience is as a bureaucrat, not a medical professional, DeWine was open about McCloud being chosen for her ability to lead the department while others will be making sure it carries out the health functions upon which so many are depending right now.
DeWine also named other new officials last week, including Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, former Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Ohio Health, who will now be the state’s chief medical officer.
The revamped leadership team comes in at a frightening time for Ohio. On Thursday alone, there were 4,961 new cases of coronavirus compared to the 21-day average of 2,825, and 33 new coronavirus-related deaths compared to the 21-day average of 20. Hospitals are strained, and the entire state is now regarded as “high incidence.”
It turns out the virus didn’t care which way the general election went.
It is time once again then, to return our attention to the colors on that Ohio Public Health Advisory System map. Do your part, ladies and gentlemen. Follow the guidelines and be smart. If you’re not worried about yourself, worry about the people around you. We’ve still got quite a fight on our hands. Especially with holiday gatherings and the moving indoors that comes with wintertime.
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