CLEVELAND — All of the updates on the coronavirus and the incredible impact it's having on our lives can be hard to keep up with. To help you keep up, we'll post this daily blog on our homepage. You can find all of our stories, and a map of Ohio cases, on our coronavirus page.
9:26 PM
A Northeast Ohio health department is using technology to find COVID-19 hotspots and help get testing to those neighborhoods. More here.
8:58 PM
Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that the state would expand access to testing and contact tracing as its economy slowly reopens. More here.
6:44 PM
Mayor Frank Jackson said despite the city having lost "several million" in revenue, there are no plans to layoff or furlough any of Cleveland's more than 8,000 employees during the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.
6:43 PM
News 5's Amanda Van Allen spoke with a Cleveland man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 after traveling to New York and Las Vegas. More here.
4:44 PM
Nearly one million Ohioans have applied for unemployment benefits since March, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. More here.
4:30 PM
Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that all employees and customers will be required to wear face masks at various types of businesses as they begin to reopen in Ohio next month. More here.
3:27 PM
Good news: 5-day averages show COVID-19 cases trending downward in Ohio. More here.
2:30 PM
DeWine announced the following dates for the gradual reopening of Ohio:
May 1: All medical operations and procedures that do not require an overnight stay in the hospital will be allowed beginning May 1.
May 4: Manufacturing, distribution and construction will be opened back up, as will general office spaces. DeWine touched on five protocols for all businesses in Ohio:
1. Require face coverings for all employees and clients/customers at all times
2. Conduct daily health assessments by employers for employees.
3. Maintain good hygiene at all times, including hand washing and social distancing
4. Clean and sanitize workplaces throughout the workday and at the close of business or between shifts.
May 12: Consumer, retail and services in Ohio will be allowed to open back up. Retail spaces must follow the following required protocols, and are highly encouraged to observe other safety measures:
More here.
2:15 PM
Gov. DeWine announced the state's plan to gradually staff up a contact tracing workforce. By June 1, DeWine said there will be the need for an estimated 1,750 workers needed to be trained on tracing the contacts of those who have tested positive for COVID-19.
"This is in a scale that we’ve never seen before," DeWine said. "And so, if we’re moving the economy forward, open things up, we’ve got to be able to do the testing, we’ve got to do the tracing. And you all have got to continue to do separation and all the things that you have been doing so."
2:10 PM
Gov. DeWine provided projections showing that by the end of May, daily testing capacity will be at 22,275, and weekly testing totals will be at 133,650.
“These are what we think we’ll be able to achieve," DeWine said. "We think we have a real shot at getting those numbers.”
2 PM
Before unveiling his plan to gradually reopen the state, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine laid out three points on how we've fought the spread of coronavirus so far:
1. You have done an amazing job of staying at home, staying apart. Ohioans have stepped up, and we are where we are today -- where we can start getting our economy moving - because what you, as citizens, have done.
2. #COVID19 is still here. It's still as dangerous as it ever was. It is still among us. Many of the things you have done - you've slowed this process, but it's still there.
3. The essential tools to slow #COVID19 down are the same: Distance, Washing hands, Cloth masks, Sanitizing surfaces. We will have to continue to do these as we move the economy forward.
1:27 PM
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton will hold a news briefing on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday at 2:00 p.m. Watch it live here.
12:02 PM
On Monday, Kent State University announced it would continue a pause on university-sponsored travel, maintain a hiring freeze and cutting staff in an effort to establish a balanced budget for the 2021 fiscal year, according to a release from the school. More here.
11:12 AM
Cuyahoga County is postponing its enforcement of the plastic bag ban from July 1, 2020 to Jan. 1, 2021, pending approval from the Cuyahoga County Council. More here.
10:15 AM
The Lakewood Tool Box, a membership program for residents that gives them full access to tools and other home improvement supplies, is changing their pricing to make their service more accessible to all residents looking to get creative and handy during the COVID-19 pandemic. More here.
10:07 AM
Inmates and staff at the Marion Correctional Institution are worried about care as the prison has become one of the nation’s largest hotspots for COVID-19, according to an article from Marion Star. More here.
9:16 AM
As the state approaches the first initial phase of reopening on May 1, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to release additional details of what a gradual reopening looks like, including what businesses will be allowed to reopen. More here.
9:09 AM
The Vinton County Health Department has confirmed two local cases of the coronavirus, ending the county’s 11-day run as the only one in Ohio without a confirmed case. More here.
8:50 AM
Millions of Americans got $1,200 in their bank accounts by mid-April, and millions more will receive paper checks in the mail in the coming months — and if some lawmakers get their way, even more cash could be on its way later this year. More here.
8:00 AM
As many of us spend more time at home, Gov. Mike DeWine wants every Ohioan to take part in some fun with a virtual spirit week. More here.
7:40 AM
Salons across Northeast Ohio remain cautious, yet prepared ahead of Gov. Mike DeWine's May 1 reopening announcement. More here.
6:56 AM
Vocational Guidance Services, known as VGS, has been sewing dress slacks for the women of the U.S. military since the late 1980s. The workforce agency holds a contract with the U.S. government. More here.
6:50 AM
ICYMI: Many parents across the country were forced to become home-school teachers, practically overnight, as governors ordered schools and day cares to close to due COVID-19. More here.
6:30 AM
As Governor Mike DeWine prepares to roll out Ohio’s new reopening guidelines, a new Baldwin Wallace University Ohio Poll shows the state's residents have confidence in his ability to deliver what’s right for the state. More here.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Read our daily Coronavirus Live Blog for the latest updates and news on coronavirus.
We're Open! Northeast Ohio is place created by News 5 to open us up to new ways of thinking, new ways of gathering and new ways of supporting each other.
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Ohio, a timeline of Governor Mike DeWine's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Northeast Ohio, and link to more information from the Ohio Department of Health, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the CDC and the WHO.
See data visualizations showing the impact of coronavirus in Ohio, including county-by-county maps, charts showing the spread of the disease, and more.
The federal government has begun distributing $1,200 Economic Impact Payments to millions of Americans to help relieve the economic burden caused by coronavirus. Click here for everything you need to know about checking the status and receiving these payments.
The CDC and the Ohio Department of Health are now recommending the use of cloth face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Read more about the CDC's recommendation here. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a face mask from common household materials, without having to know how to sew.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
Here is everything you need to know about testing for coronavirus in Ohio.
Here's a list of things in Northeast Ohio closed due to coronavirus concerns
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
