Question for Ohioans....

[Ohiogal]

I have been hearing DeWine say for about a month now that Ohio is going to really ramp up the testing at the end of May.

So, doesn’t that sound like there should be more test kits available, more testing of employees before a business re-opens, or testing for anyone who wants one?

Has anyone seen any evidence of this happening yet? I have not.

[Backseat Driver]

1. At first I was much surprised with his approach

to protecting Ohioans as hospitalizations peaked(?), but I lately think he's been sipping at a thimble-sized cup of Trump & Co's kool-aid like a nervous hummingbird so to avoid retribution by the Moron's hit-men. I'd have to say I'd need to make a day's project to locate and obtain testing, even here in the state's capital. I'm still planning on staying safe at home; it's frustrating but DH is one of those "essential" cashiers but his company has taken precautionary measures for employees, but not a bit of restrictions on masking of the customers as his "combat" pay has now ended. SMH at all the chaos, protests, and counting of everything--now pretty much inappropriately hidden from the public's wary eye

https://covidactnow.org/us/oh/county/franklin_county/

[Ohiogal]

2. Thank you, that was very informative.

And I agree DeWine has been trying to walk too fine a line lately. He’s afraid to rile up Trump’s base but he’s smart enough to know that the measures that the scientists and experts recommend really do work. I think however he got an education on how seriously people are taking the precautions last week when those photos of crowded bars in Columbus went viral.

I was just wondering whatever became of this claim of ramping up testing at the end of May. Maybe he will address it soon. I hope.

[Ohiogal]

5. Thanks for your insight

That’s the feeling I have, too

And welcome to DU!

[gopiscrap]

14. welcome to DU

[hotrod0808]

4. I haven't seen a rush for testing.

Plus, my employer is trying to open. They are forcing 30 people back to work. They claim that they cannot afford to give each employee more than two masks per week. But, lo & behold, an article in The Blade this morning showed that they paid salary people $3 Million in bonuses...even though the plant was dormant for six weeks. My union officers seem to be in bed with the company telling us that all is well and we need to get back to work to protect their pensions. I write "their," because nobody hired after December of 2010 are eligible to be in the pension program.

This is going to be a clusterfuck inside of a shitshow, and this entire process is going to get a lot more people killed in the process.

[Ohiogal]

7. That's just despicable.

I am sorry you have to endure this. And that your union is failing you.

I don’t understand how there is just a big collective shrug over employee safety among so many companies. I wish I had some words of wisdom to add, but sadly, I do not. Vote Out Every Republican, I guess.

[hotrod0808]

9. Here's the sad thing about it all:

I love my job. It's the first job in ages that I have truly loved. I work at the warehouse, not the factory. I love driving forklifts, loading trucks, and the rest of it. I detest my supervision, and the executives. They are the worst I have ever worked for, and I spent a decade working for the railroad. I thought railroad supervisors were awful, but these clowns make railroaders seem tolerable.

[blueinredohio]

6. Nope

[Philostopher]

10. Montgomery County seems to have more "popup" sites...

But it's never clear in Dayton Daily News whether they're for anybody who wants a test (the administration's original "promise" ) or only for those who are symptomatic or front-line workers. I'm kind of disappointed DDN isn't more proactive about it, but they're bleeding money and understaffed, just like every small city daily newspaper that hasn't gone bankrupt yet.

Different organizations sponsor drive-through sites, like hospital systems, Kroger or WalMart, but there's no one place I know of, to find a comprehensive list or the dates of activity. Since Montgomery and Greene Counties really share a metropolitan district, neither county's health department would have a comprehensive list on site, so DDN should be doing it.

That being said, a week or so ago, the excuse was there are still supply issues. I don't recall what part of the test chain was lacking, but since we have multiple corporate labs around here capable of processing the tests, that shouldn't have been the problem.

Ohio defers that stuff onto county health departments, just like Trump shoved off the onus on states. I guess it depends on how adept your particular county's health infrastructure is at coping.

[Ohiogal]

11. I just don't get it.

Here it is, nearly June, we’ve all been through weeks of lockdowns, this virus has been here since January (or before),

and we still have to severely ration tests? While the powers that be tell us it’s OK to go back to work during a pandemic when there’s no cure and a hundred thousand people have died?
Why aren’t there more tests and testing? At this point it’s unbelievable that you just can’t go to your doctor’s office or pharmacy and get a goddam test.

[ladym55]

12. My husband was complaining about this earlier this afternoon

Ohio's testing rate is very, very low, and we keep hearing all these promises that tests are coming. We are rushing to open up without the testing supports in place, so I worried that all of the hard work of March and April will be undermined.

We're at 28,000 tests per million, whereas the national rate is almost 47,000 per million--Indiana and Michigan are testing more. Here's more information:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

[Ohiogal]

13. Thank you for the information.

[Maeve]

16. I do know the National Guard has been pulled in to help with testing

Because my son is deployed doing it....said he did 500 tests in three days but not sure much beyond that (text message from him and he's exhausted). I expect most of this has been residential facilities here in the Columbus area