COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held a press conference Friday morning to address efforts made regarding COVID-19-related hospital staffing issues in systems across the state.
You can re-watch the press conference in the player below:
During the press conference, in an unusual move, a limited scope of questions were approved by the state, which said that due to the "limited time available and the serious nature of this announcement," questions would be limited to the announcement specifically and would need to be submitted ahead of time.
DeWine announced during the press conference that he had ordered 1,050 members of the Ohio National Guard to help in Ohio hospitals.
The governor also announced that the state is now working with a healthcare staffing company to help staff hospitals with out-of-state workers to help in Ohio.
RELATED: Gov. DeWine orders Ohio National Guard to understaffed hospitals with rising COVID cases
The press conference came on the same day that the Cleveland Clinic announced it is extending the postponement of non-urgent surgeries at its Ohio hospitals, citing the continued challenge of rising COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday, Ohio reported 11,803 new COVID-19 cases in the state, with 391 new hospitalizations and 25 new ICU admissions. The state also reported that as of Thursday, 58.95% of Ohio's population had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 54.34% of the population having completed their vaccination.
RELATED: Cleveland Clinic extends postponement of non-urgent surgeries due to COVID-19 surge
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