Coronavirus Update: K-12 Schools to Close for Three Weeks, Large Gatherings Banned

Here’s the latest regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19):

• Gov. Mike DeWine has announced he will close all K-12 schools — public, private and charter — at the end of the day Monday, March 16, until April 3. (Please check with your local schools for exact details.) The closures do not include child-care facilities.
• Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton has signed an order banning gatherings of 100 or more people. The ban does not include grocery stores, forms of transit, typical office environments, or factories, among others places.
• Because community spread is occurring, Dr. Acton said it’s likely that at least 1% of Ohio’s population is carrying this virus today. One percent of the state’s population is roughly 117,000 people. (See video of the governor’s latest COVID-19 update.)
• As of Thursday, five Ohioans had tested positive for the coronavirus. There are 52 Ohioans awaiting coronavirus test results, while 30 have tested negative and 333 are under health supervision. This website provides real-time, Ohio-specific information regarding the coronavirus.
• If you have questions regarding how to protect your employees and prepare for COVID-19, the ODH coronavirus call center can be reached at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. The agency operates the center seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and staff includes infectious disease experts.
• ODH has released this brief guidance document for employers, as well as a list of frequently asked questions.
• OSHA has published 35 pages of guidance on preparing workplaces for COVID-19.
• The World Health Organization has published a five-page guidance document for employers.
• The CDC has published a list of frequently asked questions about the coronavirus, and a short document on keeping workplaces and homes safe.
• The U.S. EPA has published a list of disinfectants to protect against the spread of the coronavirus, as has the American Chemistry Council’s Center for Biocide Chemistries. The latter says “this product list is not exhaustive but can be used by business owners to identify products suitable for use during the COVID-19.”
• Several OMA Connections Partners have published guidance for employers:
  • RSM has created its coronavirus resource center to help business leaders stay on top of this developing situation, including this article on five things businesses can do operationally to prepare.
  • Bricker & Eckler has posted this guidance on maintaining a healthy workplace after employees have traveled.
  • Dinsmore published this article covering the many laws an HR manager needs to consider while implementing practical business solutions required during a pandemic.
  • Calfee reports the IRS has announced that high-deductible health plans are allowed to cover costs associated with testing and treatment for COVID-19 without violating current regulations.
• This interactive map by Johns Hopkins shows the location of every reported COVID-19 case in the world. At last check, more than half of the cases were listed as “recovered.”

The OMA continues to monitor updates from ODH, as well as the latest situation summaries from the CDC. 3/12/2020