Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is leaving it to the state's clinicians to tell him how they'll protect patients and preserve personal protective equipment if he lifts the state's ban on elective surgical procedures, The Columbus Dispatch reports.
What you should know:
1. Mr. DeWine met with a clinician group April 15 to discuss elective procedures. He banned elective procedures to conserve PPE and keep surgery centers free to serve as potential care sites during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the clinician group can present a plan to conserve PPE, Mr. DeWine would consider lifting the ban.
2. Elective procedures in the state have been banned since March 18.
3. State Rep. Nino Vitale, R-Urbana, said because surgery centers haven't been needed to house COVID-19 patients and the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't endangered the state's PPE stockpile, the ban on elective procedures should be lifted as soon as possible. His comments were echoed by several other state legislators.