Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, December 8:
- Gov. DeWine plans to extend curfew as COVID-19 cases continue to rise
- Ohio legislature reports three cases of COVID-19
- Summit health officials recommend halting school sports
- Rep. Fudge in the Running for Biden Cabinet Post
- Bill Murray plays Job in Ohio-centric biblical production
DeWine Plans to Extend Curfew as COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise
As Ohio continues to see large numbers of COVID-19 cases, Gov. Mike DeWine announced no new restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus Monday. But he did say he will extend the nighttime curfew for the time being. The 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. curfew was set to expire this week, but DeWine said it will be extended beyond the original three week window as the virus continues to run rampant throughout the state. He said more details will be coming Thursday. Ohio reported more than 9,200 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday. Tuesday is expected to see a large jump in new cases as a backlog of antigen tests will be added to the daily tally.
Ohio Legislature Reports Three COVID-19 Cases
COVID-19 cases are spreading in the Ohio legislature. At least three House members have tested positive in recent days. Monday, Democrat John Patterson of Ashtabula County said he tested positive. Republican Rick Carfagna of Delaware County on Friday announced he was positive and had a high fever and cough. The third case hasn’t been named, but Cleveland.com reports GOP leaders have said that person was in meetings shortly before testing positive. An extended quarantine of House members in close contact could scuttle the current lame duck session. If that happens, GOP lawmakers would be unable to override a veto from Gov. Mike DeWine of their bill stripping him of authority to enact statewide health orders.
Summit Health Officials Recommend Halting School Sports
Summit County Public Health officials are urging schools and colleges to stop all sports and further reduce in-person contact as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. In a release to schools and families, officials say halting sports would help keep the county’s hospitals from becoming overloaded. Officials advise skills training or conditioning for sports can continue. Last week the state put Summit at the highest risk level for coronavirus transmission, level 4 (purple). Health officials advise families to minimize non-essential travel and limit themselves to a single activity per day, like work or school.
Rep. Fudge in the Running for Biden Cabinet Post
President-elect Joe Biden has yet to name his pick for secretary of agriculture. Rep. Marcia Fudge, who represents Ohio’s 11th district, has reportedly been on the short list, but a report out Monday indicated Biden was leaning toward former Iowa Governor and Obama USDA chief Tom Vilsack. The choice is especially critical this year as USDA provides extra aid for the hungry and oversees food production amid the pandemic.
Bill Murray Plays Job in Ohio-centric Biblical Production
A group of acclaimed actors, including Bill Murray, staged an online reading of a religious text with remarkable relevance to the current moment: the Book of Job. The performance, taking place against the backdrop of a pandemic’s blight and wounds from an acrimonious election, was aimed at Republican-leaning Knox County, Ohio. It featured participation from locals and was designed to spark meaningful conversations across spiritual and political divides. Murray may have been the ostensible headliner, but its organizers hoped that the format was the real star.
