Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Sunday that weariness and the colder weather are to blame for the mounting COVID-19 crisis in his state, where cases have doubled and hospitalizations have spiked by 85% from two weeks ago.
“There’s the fatigue that’s set in,” Mr. DeWine, a Republican, told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
He said hospitals are “certainly not overwhelmed yet,” though some major hospitals have deferred elective surgeries — an early sign there could be a problem.
“We don’t like to see that. We don’t like to see any kind of health care delays,” Mr. DeWine said.
Mr. DeWine said a vaccine will usher in sunnier days, though no one should be complacent. He said grocery store clerks and other public-facing employees have a right to expect that customers will wear masks and take other precautions.
“We just have to tough it out for a few more months,” the governor said.
Once the shots are delivered, he plans to prioritize nursing-home staff who might bring the virus into settings with elderly and vulnerable people.
“You’re putting a shell around and protecting the most vulnerable, and we’ll move out from there,” Mr. DeWine said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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