06/01/2020

DeWine’s Science-based COVID-19 Response Wins Bipartisan Praise

His early, decisive action on the virus likely saved lives

Before a single case of COVID-19 (coronavirus) had been reported in his state, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine began imposing sweeping restrictions. The mild-mannered Republican banned spectators from large-scale sporting events. He recommended that colleges suspend in-person classes. He was the first governor in the nation to close his state’s public schools, and he fought to postpone Ohio’s primary election.

The moves may have seemed radical at the time, but as Ohio now begins to gradually reopen, having recorded just under 2,000 deaths so far, public health experts say the governor’s swift actions likely helped the state avoid the fate of its northern neighbor, Michigan or that of many neighboring East Coast hot spots.

At a time when responses to the virus seem increasingly marked by partisanship, DeWine’s apolitical, fact-based approach has earned him plaudits from the media and sky-high approval ratings from voters on both sides of the aisle. To many, the Ohio governor’s decidedly non-flashy style of leadership – a steady competence, shaped by decades of experience – is exactly what’s needed at this moment of crisis.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Christian Science Monitor.