Twelve doctors show 12 ways to care this holiday season: Stay Safe Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Twelve doctors gave the holiday message at a briefing by Governor Mike DeWine. The governor said that the next three weeks will be the most important for us, heading into the biggest holiday season of the year. And those holidays are riding the largest wave of COVID19 so far. "We cannot [...]
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Twelve doctors gave the holiday message at a briefing by Governor Mike DeWine.
The governor said that the next three weeks will be the most important for us, heading into the biggest holiday season of the year. And those holidays are riding the largest wave of COVID19 so far.
"We cannot afford on the very eve of a safe and effective vaccination, to further overwhelm our hospitals and healthcare providers with a holiday tsunami," the governor warned. "As Ohioans each one of us needs to take personal responsibility, for what we do and what we don't do in the next 21 days."
Gov. DeWine acknowledged that this has been a difficult time for everyone, but that we are also on the home stretch. "Ohioans can get through this if we work together, and we do what we need to do in the next 21 days, we can get to the other side," he said, before introducing twelve doctors, each with a safety message.
Taken together, their messages comprise the Stay Safe Ohio protocol.
- Stay home. Only leave home for household essentials, medical care, work, and school.
2. Wear your mask when you are around people who don't live with you, when you can't remain six feet apart, and if you have COVID-19 and are in common areas in your home.
3. The more people you come into contact with the greater risk, so keep interactions short, and stay apart.
4. Use soap and water and wash your hands for 20 seconds after you've touched anything dirty, been in a public place, touched an animal, and before you prepare food. Use a hand sanitizer of 60& alcohol solution. Avoid touching your face and nose.
5. If you can work remotely, work from home. Move meetings into a virtual environment. Reduce amount of exposures and protect everyone.
6. Celebrate safe, and celebrate small. We are getting close to vaccinations, but we need to slow the transmission of the virus. Social distancing and staying at home is the safest for all of us. Use drive through, pick up and delivery services to limit face to face contact.
7. Show thoughtfulness by staying small with the household. Older family members are particularly vulnerable. Be virtual with them through Zoom and letters. Hospitals are packed with sick and dying people. Plan on celebrating big the day we can finally and safely take off our masks.
8. Don't eat or drink with someone outside of your household. If you do need to get meals out, use curbside pickup and delivery, and take-out services.
9. Stay close to home. Don't travel. The virus needs person to person contact to grow. Eliminate the spread.
10. Eliminate mass gatherings. Most of the cases in hospitals go back to mass gatherings. Use a virtual platform instead. If you must go, wear a mask, watch your distance, wash your hands.
11. Keep gatherings small. Keep it to your close family groups. Avoid travelling.
12. Celebrate your Christmas holiday at home this year with just the immediate family. You can spread it even before you know you have it. Use virtual tools. Even though it's Christmas, emergencies are still happening every day. Emergency rooms need to have space to deal with those cases.