Ohio guv Mike DeWine blasted for saying masks are enough to defeat Covid-19: 'You're selling us out for Trump'
The Ohio Department of Health released the latest data on the number of positive cases of Covid-19 in the state on July 15. Statistics show that 69, 311 cases were reported in Ohio since the outbreak, with 3,075 fatalities and 9,209 hospitalizations. Presumably, 47,303 patients have recovered from the infection. The Department of Health adds to the data every time a new case or death is reported, with information being backdated to the day that the infected person started showing symptoms or the day the person died.
While the number of infections in the entire country had been low, Ohio's Republican governor Mike DeWine had received praise for taking decisive steps towards prevention and safety of Ohioans by banning attendees at a sports event, calling for schools in the state to shut down (before any other state) and putting a stop to the presidential primary. However, over the course of the last few months, he has recanted from mandating masks, delivered mixed messages about large gatherings, faced criticism from within his party over the business shutdown and even been hesitant on listening to health experts.
His moves to help slow down the rate of infections in the state have now shifted towards messages of personal responsibility and observe the direction of governors in Republic-leaning states that have resisted lockdown. Despite the surge in numbers in Ohio and a possible, imminent second wave in infections, DeWine announced in an evening address on July 15 that he is taking a "surgical, precise approach", by urging only those in the hardest-hit counties to wear masks, even as other states have issued more stringent safety measures.
DeWine said in his address that without immediate action Ohio could be well on its way to become like Florida, Texas, and Arizona in the next few weeks. While many Ohioans awaited new orders to be issued with regard to the pandemic, DeWine asserted that it was a conversation for another time. "Some have wondered what health orders might be issued tonight. That discussion is for another time," he tweeted on July 15. "As your Governor, I’ll take any action necessary to protect #Ohio citizens. But orders are not as important as what we all do in the days ahead. The future is in our own hands." According to him, the people of Ohio did what they had to do in the early days of the pandemic by collectively taking a chance fighting against their common enemy.
In the televised address, he once again appealed to Ohioans to make “once-in-a-hundred year sacrifices” to protect their neighbors, regardless of the government's decision. He made references to the death tolls from the Spanish flu epidemic and the Vietnam War in order to instill in Ohioans that wearing face masks in public is the need of the hour. However, besides urging people to wear masks, he has issued no other mandate and added that if the strategy is followed over the next four to six weeks, it “could drive this epidemic to the ground.”
“Friends, this is not a drill. It certainly is not any hoax. This is not a dress rehearsal,” he said urging people to take action. DeWine had earlier stood alongside former health director Dr Amy Acton, who resigned in June after facing backlash for exercising her emergency powers to call for business shutdowns and issuing stay-at-home orders. He said that they were able to responsibly reopen the state because they initially took the right measure to control the virus in the early stages of the pandemic.
DeWine said Ohioans shouldn't let their guard down. “Clearly our number of new cases is not just the result of increased testing,” he said. “Tonight I’m asking each of you to take action now, sacrifice now so that our kids can be in school this fall… so that our businesses can remain open,” said Governor DeWine. Reiterating the importance of masks, he continued to endorse donning them on the regular, when going out in public. “We’re tired, we want to go back to the way things were and that’s very very understandable but when we do we’re playing a Russian roulette game with our lives,” he said, deeming the measures to tackle the pandemic as short term inconveniences for long term freedoms.
DeWine has also been particularly careful not to condemn other Republicans, including President Donald Trump for their negligence over the pandemic and downplaying the threat it poses. He has, however, raised the ire of Republicans who control Ohio's legislature. They have accused DeWine and his administration of eluding lawmakers before shutting down the presidential primary in March and even claimed that he had overstepped his authority while direction Dr Acton to issue emergency health orders.
Nevertheless, the Twitterverse was extremely put off by DeWine's backtracking statements in his July 15 televised address. Many took to their handles to slam DeWine for his words. "Ohioans were preparing for action, not some fireside chat @GovMikeDeWine. Perfect incapusulation of conservative leadership: do nothing and hope for the best. Lives are at stake, Governor. A Bible passage won’t save them, but masks will #ohiocoronavirus", a user wrote in a tweet. "So basically Mike Dewine said in a nutshell people are not listening, Ohio is screwed, and I'm not mandating anything that will piss off my political party or Trump's puppets. However pretty please wear a mask. #ohiocoronavirus #ohio #COVID__19", another user added.
"Thats's it DeWine ?! That's f*****g it??? Asking stupid Americans to wear a f*****g mask???? No closures, no stay at home, no lockdown in Ohio??? You are a f*****g joke DeWine!!! What an unbelievable demonstration of spineless LACK OF LEADERSHIP!!!" a rankled user tweeted. Many others also criticized Trump for his lack of response and negligence in taking action to combat the virus. "The Ebola death toll for Obama was 2. The GOP was outraged. The Covid death toll for Trump? 137,000. No GOP outrage. Lavish praise for Trump. Craven a**holes," a user commented. "What are you waiting for? Refrigerated trucks to store the bodies like in Texas? Are not Ohioans more important than fringe members of your GOP base? You are selling us out for @realDonaldTrump and it’s costing lives now and thousands more to come. #MandateMasks #ohiocoronavirus," another user said in a tweet.
"Like a true dictator Trump wants to control the propaganda on Covid hospitalizations, death because he wants to downplay that now the morgues are at capacity in Arizona and Texas they are ordering refrigerated morgue trucks," one user added. "Americans who are adamantly opposed to wearing a mask would change their tune if they saw Trump consistently wearing one. That’s how cults work. #ohiocoronavirus", said another. One user concurred, "The Trump campaign told journalists they hope Americans will grow "numb" to the escalating Covid death toll. They're psychopaths. They're ALL psychopaths. #DonaldTheDope #ohiocoronavirus".