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Wood and Lucas counties health commissioners react to DeWine's address

The health leaders say they are focusing on the issues raised by the governor in Wednesday's address that will impact NW Ohio the most.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Local health commissioners pointed to two big issues when looking at Gov. Mike DeWine's Wednesday night speech.

The first issue is if the trends we're seeing will force schools to move all students online. 

The second is can we determine the future of bars, restaurants and gyms in just 8 days?

"The disease that we're seeing happen, happened a week to two weeks, let's say seven to 14 days ago. So again, that's going to perpetuate over the next couple of weeks," said Toledo-Lucas County Health Department Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski.

Gov. DeWine said the state will determine whether to close those businesses next Thursday. 

While we're likely not going to be able to turn around COVID-19 numbers in that time, Zgodzinski says that time could still help business owners.

"Maybe what he's also trying to do is give this week to say, when he sends out his investigators, 'are bars and restaurants doing the right thing?'" Zgodzinski said.

On a local level in Lucas and Wood Counties, health experts anticipate the next big change to involve schools, especially at districts that haven't already switched to virtual learning.

"I feel safe with our kids being in these school systems because the schools do a great job, but it just might be a logistical challenge for them to remain in the model they are," Wood County Health Commissioner Benjamin Robison said.

"I talk to the schools every week, so that conversation will be had tomorrow and have a discussion of where we're all at," Zgodzinski said.

While those talks about the future for our schools could happen quickly... getting back to normal will take much longer.

"It's not as if we're seeing an end in sight. We're continuing to see these cases climb and it's putting these questions on the table that we don't want. Nobody wants schools to close, nobody wants to see businesses close," Robison said. 

You can watch DeWine's full address to the state in the player below:

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