Gov. Mike DeWine orders 1,050 members of Ohio National Guard to assist hospitals amid COVID-related

[TomCADem]

Source: WKYC

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As the state of Ohio experiences another surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday morning that he has ordered 1,050 members of the Ohio National Guard into the state's hospitals.

* * *

"This is the highest number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 this year, and the number of hospitalized patients is rapidly approaching an all-time high," Gov. DeWine's office noted in a press release Friday.

Gov. DeWine also took a moment to encourage everybody to get vaccinated as soon as possible while continuing to follow other safety precautions -- including his suggestion that schools go back to masking for now.

“Our high COVID hospital count is being driven primarily by the unvaccinated," he said. "Nine out of 10 people who have COVID in our hospitals are unvaccinated. That is just the facts.”

Read more: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/ohio-governor-mike-dewine-covid-hospital-staffing-issues/95-16ae28a0-4aee-4c6e-ab58-a207467146f5

---

Talk about burying the lead in Ohio. For all the media focus on breakthrough cases, "Nine out of 10 people who have COVID in our hospitals are unvaccinated. That is just the facts.” Yet, you still have Republicans and right wing media pushing COVID misinformation and fighting vaccination and masking rules.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-59405471

Covid-19: Hospitals at capacity with mainly unvaccinated patients

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust anaesthetic trainee Cima Dailami, said the hospital's intensive care wards were working "flat-out".

"The Covid patients we've got on ITU are largely unvaccinated. So that's the real clincher," she said.

"That can be quite demoralising for us to see, because we really are working at maximum. We're needing to do everything we can, that's tough.

"I'm sure you must've seen all of the ambulances waiting outside.

[roamer65]

1. Assholes with a highly infectious virus putting others at risk.

That’s why they should be sent to field hospitals with minimal staff in biohazard suits.

[AngryOldDem]

10. I am kind of surprised that this isn't happening.

In 2020, remember the hospital ships and tents in New York? They are needed now more than they were then. A downtown hospital here had quonset-type huts set up in the parking lot.

Triage, triage, triage. Care for those with breakthrough infections, children, or those who for whatever reason can’t get vaxxed. Those who can get vaxxed but won’t — turn them away. They made their choice, let them live (or die) with it.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

15. Meanwhile where the assholes dwell on the Flat Earth part of the planet, the Flatters leaders

want the national guard to NOT be vaccinated…even when they go to hospitals apparently?

You CAN make this stuff up, cause there it is, completely made up.

What ya gonna do with the Flatters, in the presence of a national media that considers this level of stupidly and open sedition against the Rounders rather charming.

[True Blue American]

21. Mike DeWine is part

Of those flatters. He is trying hard to distract from all his mistakes. Signing the Householder bribery bill. Ignoring the voters committee bill, just signing a bill that allows any fool to carry without a permit or training.

[Alexander Of Assyria]

23. Seems to me from what I know of Dewine he's trying to keep one foot on each side of the earth.

[True Blue American]

26. He needs something

To distract from his dirty work. Can’t blame it all on the legislature. He signs every bill they send him. I often wonder how long his confessions last.

[2Gingersnaps]

39. At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, he behaved like a competent executive; couldn't have that.

His party went apeshit, attacked the State Health Director, stalked and threatened her until she resigned. Dear Leader mean tweeted him. His party labeled him a RINO, a traitor, and dead Republican walking. He is just trying to make amends to the batshit constituency. For all the good it will do him.

[RockRaven]

2. The same national guards who Repuke governors are encouraging to defy DOD vaccine mandates

Sigh...

[in fairness to DeWine, I don't know of he has made those sorts of statements or not, but his comrades certainly have]

[orleans]

3. why no mask mandate? nt

[Deuxcents]

4. My question, too.

This is an insane merry go round while we do. Then we don’t n the virus doesn’t care. Well..we can’t have people put out, now, can we?! just nutz

[Ms. Toad]

7. Because after DeWine followed the science,

the Republican legislature made sure to take away his power to follow the science in the future.

[AngryOldDem]

11. That is a losing battle.

Last edited Sat Dec 18, 2021, 08:56 AM - Edit history (1)

The same thing is going on here in Indiana.

It’s been a war of attrition between the general assembly and the governor, to the point where the GA wants to strip the governor of the authority to act in any emergency at all. The GA also wants no vaccine mandates across the board, despite strong opposition from the chamber of commerce (!) and the medical community.

I tell you, these idiots at the Statehouse are the very last people who should have sole authority to act in any emergency. A grapefruit has more common sense.

Indiana ranks at the near bottom in terms of COVID response. Wonder why that is, exactly?

[IronLionZion]

17. It's time for Dems to go after state legislative seats in a big way

a lot of important stuff happens there

[AngryOldDem]

18. Agreed, but gerrymandering is a huge obstacle.

I live in a county just north of Indy. It’s been slowly turning blue. But the GA has now redistricted to neutralize that. The only answer is for people to get fed up and angry with the overreach and vote accordingly.

The whole redistricting thing was a joke. The GA never really released maps properly, scheduled hearings on a moment’s notice and in the middle of the day to make it difficult for the public to attend, and rushed through votes to approve the new maps. Still, a LOT of people turned out for the hearings, most of whom were upset and angry with what was going on.

Did the GA care? LOL— no. Arrogant, stupid bastards.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

42. Hey neighbor

I live in Carmel, if it is slowly turning blue it must be very slowly.

I did not vote for Holcomb of course, but considering the far right nut job alternatives I think he is tolerable.

November 2016 was a shock. Going into the elections I was thinking great, got the a-hole Pence off the Governors election and attached to the loser Trump. Arrrg!

[TomCADem]

32. Unlike the Right Wing, Progressives Are Ignoring The Grassroots

There is much focus on the Presidency, but progressives ignore grassroots battles at the local level where the right is pushing racist, anti-science agendas. For example, look at school boards, where racist parents have been free to threaten and harass school board members, staff, parents and kids trying to avoid catch covid while also pushing for bans on "critical race theory":

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/22/1048450156/school-boards-a-new-front-line-in-the-culture-wars

It is no surprise that you have schools boards going along with the right wing indoctrination, since you do not see a similar grass root effort by progressives.

[BumRushDaShow]

30. "to the point where the GA wants to strip the governor of the authority to act in any emergency"

The RW loons here in PA who control the PA State Assembly basically did that using a more extreme process - changing the state Constitution via a misleading ballot referendum -

Pennsylvania voters impose new limits on governor’s powers

By MARC LEVY and MICHAEL RUBINKAM May 19, 2021


POTTSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania voters became the first in the nation to curb their governor’s emergency powers, approving constitutional amendments proposed by Republican lawmakers angry over Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. The vote on Tuesday’s statewide primary ballot came as Republican lawmakers across the country have sought to roll back the emergency powers governors wielded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The constitutional amendments will give lawmakers much more power over disaster declarations, to apply whether the emergency is another pandemic or natural disaster. Republicans see the referendum as a victory with strong political overtones, as the state gears up for a wide-open governor’s race in 2022 and Wolf leaving office after two terms. Republicans in the state Legislature and those aiming to replace him in 2023 have made Wolf a top political target, repeatedly attacking his stewardship during the pandemic, including his orders shuttering businesses, sending students home for online schooling and ordering masks worn outside the home.

“Last night, Pennsylvanians voted to reject Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf’s overreach of executive powers after his failed COVID response — a clear sign of accountability coming in 2022,” Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted Wednesday. The state’s Republican Party chairman, Lawrence Tabas, said in a statement that Pennsylvanians voted to “put a stop to Gov. Tom Wolf’s dictatorship.” Wolf has largely lifted his orders to stem the spread of the coronavirus, with the remaining limitations on crowd capacity lifting after May 30 and a mask-wearing mandate for the unvaccinated that tracks federal guidance, until 70% of adults are vaccinated.

Wolf’s office maintained that the disaster declaration does not affect orders designed to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Rather, it relaxes regulations for medical professionals, gives the state access to federal emergency aid and streamlines National Guard deployments, among other things, his office said. In statements Wednesday, the Legislature’s top Republicans characterized the vote as a victory for individual rights and freedoms, a move to re-establish checks and balances to ensure a functioning, collaborative government.

https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-health-coronavirus-pandemic-government-and-politics-f5ce447986a26cca310a6639de37b5ce

As a note - the above happened BEFORE Delta arrived, which has since decimated the state. Meanwhile Philly is down to having the lowest all-time pandemic per-capita rate in the state (as of a snapshot from the NYT tracking today - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/pennsylvania-covid-cases.html) -



As the largest county/city (at 1.6 million) in the state of PA, we have generally rotated between being lowest and second lowest with the literal SMALLEST county in the state of PA (Cameron, with a population of about 4,100). The somewhat on-par-in-size with my section of the city (with 2 adjacent neighborhoods combined having ~42,000), Clarion County, is currently holding the 2nd spot at the moment.

Why? Indoor mask mandates (since early August) including schools, and as of next month, there will be a mandated vaccine mandate for entry in some of the highest-risk facilities (restaurants, bars, etc).

Link to tweet

Philadelphia Public Health
@PHLPublicHealth
Headed out to eat? Don’t forget your vaccine card!

Beginning January 3, all Philadelphia establishments that serve food will require that everyone who enters be fully vaccinated.
Image
2:01 PM · Dec 17, 2021

Like everyone else, we are seeing the post-Thanksgiving increases but the rate rise has been significantly muted and like elsewhere, mostly with the unvaccinated still here (we are up to about 71% of age 12+ fully vaccinated with ~20% of the 5 - 11s who were only recently approved for a shot.

Link to tweet

Philadelphia Public Health
@PHLPublicHealth
December 17, 2021 COVID-19 vax update:

950,531 residents fully vaxxed
76.5% of adults fully vaxxed
70.9% of residents 12+ fully vaxxed
95%+ of adults have at least 1 dose
88.7% of residents 12+ have at least 1 dose
19.6% of 5-11 have at least 1 dose

➡️ http://ow.ly/Kkqn50F9Zr0
Image
1:02 PM · Dec 17, 2021

[Botany]

28. Because Dewine, the OH GOP, and the Admin. @ places like OSU have given in to the idiots

No vaccine proof needed@ OSU games.

[Good egg]

5. How many of the 1050 are vaxxed?

Both patients and National Guard largely unvaxxed? Sounds dangerous to the vaxxed medical providers in those hospitals.

[Maeve]

14. Nope--the Guard are largely vaxxed

While Oklahoma made the news with their idiot gov, the National Guard around the country have followed orders. (My son is Air National Guard, medical staff)

[IronLionZion]

6. Unvaccinated (by choice) should stay home and self medicate

they can take as much ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, etc. that they want since they know more than the stupid doctors.

Seriously, it's time to prioritize the 1 out of 10 patients who are vaccinated and anyone who is genuinely vulnerable for medical reasons, not political reasons.

People who oppose socialism should not be taking valuable tax funded resources when they won't take a free vaccine.

[AngryOldDem]

13. Long past time for triage.

They deserve no consideration. At all.

Treat them like the societal lepers they are and put them someplace where they can’t hurt anyone else.

I have zero sympathy or compassion for willful ignorance.

[IronLionZion]

16. Send them home

they can stop at the farm feed store on the way to pick up horse meds

[AngryOldDem]

19. Then there wouldn't be any left for the horses.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. Must be something serious if DeWine did something .nt

[LisaL]

9. No room in the hospitals is serious.

OH is being hit hard with covid. And that is before omicron really takes hold.

[True Blue American]

25. Well, yeah, the state

Is swamped with cases again. And he needs something to distract from the way he is treating voters.

[twodogsbarking]

12. I am against risking the National Guard troops to save people

who refuse the vaccine.

[JohnnyRingo]

20. Mike DeWine is the best Republican we could hope for.

He's even seen the Ohio statehouse majority revolt against him, taking away his authority to order mandates. He made it clear early on that he's not a Trump republican.

However, I'm not certain I understand what the NG's role will be. Still, at least he's doing something and he didn't send our guardsmen to the border like some governors I know.

[Bantamfancier]

22. This is from the Columbus Dispatch story on DeWine's announcement.

The guard members will begin their deployments Monday and most of them (900) will provide transport assistance, food services and environmental cleanup work because they do not have formal medical training.

[True Blue American]

24. I hope you were being sarcastic.

Mike DeWine is worse than Kasich, if that is possible. After a good start with Covid he became the worst.

[JohnnyRingo]

27. I'll grade him on the curve, but I like him.

I think he's more forthcoming than Kasich who always acted like the cameras were rolling and he didn't want to make any waves with the GOP (until he left office).

I see DeWine as fearless and doing what he sees as right for Ohio. The only thing I've differed with him is on is his abortion stance. I really don't even blame him for gerrymandering, though he could speak out about what the Ohio legislators are doing. I would put him up against any republican governor in the country, and maybe a couple democrats as well.

[True Blue American]

29. I don't.

Followed his career in the Senate until Sherrod Brown beat him. He did nothing while AG including solving a mass murder. Refusing to prosecute the 28 million dollar ECOTT scandal. He promised to do both. He signed the bailout bill that would have cost tax payers millions that LRry Householder $61 million dollar bribery scandal. Mike lies worse than Trump. He was in charge of the gerrymandering by naming himself and 4 others to the unbiased committee we voted on.

[JohnnyRingo]

33. i didn't know it was Sherrod who took him out.

We got a deal there.

[True Blue American]

34. The only thing DeWine

Did right was at the beginning of the pandemic. But he had to butter up Trump to get what was needed.

Sorry to disagree with you, I mean no disrespect but I remember Ohio when we had John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum. We had Governor Gilligan. Democrat. We had Vern Riffe, Speaker of the House from my hometown.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vern_Riffe

[JohnnyRingo]

36. And I remember James A Rhodes and Bob Taft.

So I'll grade on a curve and DeWine looks pretty good.

[True Blue American]

37. Jim Rhodes was a great Governor. He modernized Ohio

Worked hard to bring the state up to date. 4 time Governor, I was proud of him. His mistake was Kent State. I am sure that hurt him deeply. Taft, not so much.

[2Gingersnaps]

40. Yeah, Ohio used to be far more progressive than it is now.

DeWine is a Mike Pence style Republican. About the only thing I ever agreed with him on was how he first handled Covid. But I also figured it would be his doom. This is the State where the Republicans tried to make a law to transplant ectopic pregnancies even though no such procedure exists, women would die, and Doctors would be imprisoned.

The race to the bottom is proudly pursued here.

[TomCADem]

31. The Funny Thing Is That for All the Hate Directed at Manchin...

...you have folkls saying they like Kasich or DeWine, yet can you really argue that he is somehow is better than someone like right of center Democrat like Manchin who is from a deep red state?

[True Blue American]

35. Most of them see what

They want you to see. Kasich tried to kill public unions. We beat him back with petitions and a huge vote at the ballot box. He gutted public education to feed his Charter schools that robbed us blind. Left a $28 million dollar Private school scandal. DeWine promised to prosecute every time he ran for office. The billion dollar bailout for nuclear and coal plants. Householder $61 million dollar bribe scandal DeWine signed that. What is not to like about Kasich and DeWine? Now gerrymandering even though we voted twice for a commission.

[True Blue American]

38. Seems Progressives are fed up with Manchin.

They have a plant to get him and the Corporate machine out.

https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/progressive-group-launches-replacejoemanchin-com/article_ca94786c-338d-5d4d-8655-036a6d7aa33d.html

Bernie wants. A vote. Make Joe vote no publicly, on Tapper this morning.

[TomCADem]

41. He Is Fed Up With Progressives Who Want To Put WV Coal Miners...

...out of work. That is what progressives do not understand. West Virginia is not a NYC or LA. Manchin is a in a red, coal mining State with a relative low cost of living.

If you do not want to depend on Manchin, then win some more Senate seats, then you have more leverage.

[True Blue American]

43. 93% of children

In WV will lose benefits with the expiration.WV is dying. Unlike when Senator Byrd and Rockefeller were there. DeWine is trying to do the same to Ohio. We have Sherrod Brown.

Coal will never return to WV. They need new industries. Ohio lost all their car companies. The state has moved on. New companies all. Over. Southwest Ohio is growing like crazy. Manchin should have concentrated on. Training, not lies about coal.

All it would take is one honest Republican to cross over.

[TomCADem]

45. So, Would You Support Decoupling Child Care Tax Credit...

…from climate change provisions to get the deal? I think many progressives would oppose this like they voted against the infrastructure bill because they see legislation that could help WV as leverage to get Manchineel to vote for things he does not like. That is why you are not going to see any progressive float this as a stand alone bill.

[True Blue American]

46. Just in!

MSNBC! Manchin has come up with a whole new plan. Bigger and better. Joe peddling backwards as fast as he can!

Joe says he was at his wits end with WH staff, not Biden!

Coal Miners Union!

https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/586661-coal-miners-union-urges-manchin-to-reconsider

[Vinca]

44. At least Kasich and DeWine are honest about their party affiliation.