Keep up with regular news updates regarding Columbus and Ohio’s response to COVID-19 here.
Numbers from the Ohio Department of Health Thursday demonstrated that Franklin County now has 106 reported cases. The county does not have any new deaths.
Fifteen Ohioans have now died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, with 867 cases reported.
In his daily press conference, Governor Mike DeWine said on Thursday, March 26 that he would be signing a coronavirus relief bill on Friday, and spoke on measures included in the bill.
One measure will allow civil, criminal and administrative time limits to be tolled until July 30, giving courts more flexibility in hearing cases within a certain period of time. That flexibility will be at the discretion of individual courts.
Franklin County Municipal Court ceased most court meetings in mid-March, at that time suggesting courts may open back up in early May. State legislation may extend that date.
Governor DeWine also spoke on weddings and funerals, which have continued to remain an exception in his orders. He suggested residents hold smaller gatherings with healthy relatives and postpone bigger gatherings for a later date.
Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted announced that last week alone, 188,000 Ohioans filed for unemployment benefits. The governor’s office will now be releasing unemployment numbers just once a week, at the direction of the White House. Nationally, a record 3.28 million workers applied for unemployment benefits last week.
For more information on COVID-19 in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.