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Acton Warns People To Minimize, Strategize Essential Trips

Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio Department of Health director
Office of Gov. Mike DeWine
Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio Department of Health director

The state will start tracking ventilators through a new database as part of the ongoing effort to build up capacity for the projected peak of coronavirus in Ohio.

Gov. Mike DeWine wants medical facilities around the state to report how many ventilators they have and where they're located, to prepare for a coming surge.

Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, is asking Ohioans to be even more thoughtful about essential trips to places like the grocery store or pharmacy.

"You can do it, we need you to be able to do that. But double up. Think about your being out there strategically. Because it's very, very important right now that we minimize our exposure to others," says Acton.

DeWine says they expect to release more details on the capacity build up plans soon. The Ohio National Guard is working with hospital systems in eight regions of the state to increase capacity and optimize personal protection equipment for medical staff.

Copyright 2020 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.