News Briefs Week of 4/6/20

By: 
Staff writer

Food pantry
The Oak Harbor Alliance Chapel Food Pantry, located at 11805 SR 105, will continue to provide food supplies to anyone in need by appointment only. Call 419-343-0126.

Donations welcome
Donations are being accepted for the Elmore Food Pantry, which, in light of the SR 51 bridge closure and the Stay at Home Order from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, has moved to the Elmore Community Center, 410 Clinton St.
Food pantry staff anticipate a continuing need for services to the community. Donations may be dropped off at the town hall in the Elmore Police Department Lobby, 344 Rice St., which is staffed 24/7.
The next scheduled food pantry date is April 17 from 9 a.m.-noon.
Food pantry orders will be taken by volunteers from the Elmore Fire and Police departments and the items brought to people’s cars. This will help to keep the volunteers and community safe and healthy following Ohio Department of Health’s social distancing guidelines.
If you or someone you know does not have transportation and is in need of food assistance, home delivery will be provided to village of Elmore or Harris Township residents. Call Rick Claar at 419-377-0700 for more information.
“Please consider making a donation as this will greatly help our community in this difficult time,” Claar said.
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Grab-and-go meals
Visions of Hope Ministries (VOHM), a 501(c)3 non-profit formed in 2019 by Clark Street and Salem United Methodist churches to enhance the quality of life for all people of East Toledo, is serving bag lunches seven days a week during the current coronavirus crisis.
The grab-and-go lunches are served daily from noon-1 p.m., through the Pantry at Salem of East Toledo, located at Salem UMC, 602 Federal St.
Donations of peanut butter and jelly, meats for sandwiches, fruit cups, snack bags, individual fruit cups or fresh fruit, water or fruit drinks, lunch bags and take-home containers are welcome to help meet the growing need. Curbside donations may be dropped off at Salem UMC daily between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. or by appointment. Monetary donations may also be made through PayPal at https://visionsofhopeministries.org/donations/.

Church serving meals;
donations welcome
Due to the coronavirus epidemic, carryout meals are being served at Unity United Methodist Church, 1910 E. Broadway, Northwood, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5-7 p.m.
For more info, call Elesondra DeRomano at 419-280-2451 or Unity United Methodist Church at 419-693-5170 and leave a message.
Donations are welcome to help feed local families during the pandemic. In addition to monetary donations, food items that would be helpful include vegetables for soups, cole slaw, salad mix, mashed potatoes, lunch meats, green beans, barbecue sauce, chips, Jell-O, single packs of fruit, quart and gallon zipper closure bags, bowls and lids, takeout containers, silverware and napkins.

Latta statement
on CARES Act
Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) offered the following statement on the House passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed on March 27.
“The American people desperately need relief. The coronavirus pandemic has taken lives, burdened our country’s healthcare system, and is impacting our economy. Just before the pandemic hit, there were a million more job openings than Americans seeking work. Now, 3.3 million Americans have filed unemployment claims.
“The bill we passed today isn’t perfect. There are provisions I would have liked to see left out, but American families, workers and businesses are in challenging situations through no fault of their own. The House of Representatives acted to deliver American families, workers, small business, and industries resources that will save lives, stabilize our economy, and protect people in every community against this invisible threat.
The CARES Act includes over-the-counter (OTC) drug monograph reform legislation, led by Congressman Latta, which allows new, safe products to come to market more quickly while addressing label changes and expanding consumer choice. This would allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make scientific determinations for OTC ingredients through an administrative order process, which is much more efficient than the current rulemaking system.
The CARES Act also includes major provisions to:
• Provide grants and loans to small businesses to meet payroll and pay rent.
• Temporarily expand unemployment insurance.
• Send direct checks to individual Americans of up to $1,200.
• Allow regulatory relief so banks can grant loan forbearance for otherwise healthy businesses struggling while business has been shut down.
• Provide Treasury and the Federal Reserve the ability to provide assistance to distressed industries, including airlines, through guaranteed loans while also including strong accountability protections.
• Rush resources to hospitals, doctors and other front-line providers.
• Expand the use of telehealth medicine to surge capacity to diagnose and treat patients in a safer and faster environment.
• Provide tax policy incentives, such as fixing key technical corrections from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including QIP and NOL.
• Provide liability protection for providers who volunteer (Good Samaritan).
• Allow HSAs to be used to purchase over-the-counter medicines.
• Extend expiring health extenders to November.
Congressman Latta encourages anyone who needs assistance to contact his office in Bowling Green at 419-354-8700. Ohioans living in the Fifth Congressional District can also call 419-318-8925.
For up-to-date information, visit latta.house.gov.

Ohio EPA:
don’t flush wipes
As some Ohioans search for alternatives to toilet paper, Ohio EPA is advising people not to flush any product other than toilet paper to avoid clogging sewers and septic systems.
Cleaning wipes, tissues, and paper towels will eventually clog public sewers and home septic systems. Flushing these items can cause sewage backups into homes and expensive repairs.
Among products and items that should never be flushed are:
• Wipes, including baby wipes and disinfectant wipes – even if they are labeled as flushable;
• Cat litter;
• Hygiene products including cotton balls and swabs, menstrual products, condoms, medications (including prescription and over-the-counter drugs).
• Fats and grease.
These items always should be bagged and thrown in the garbage.

Four in Ottawa Co.
test positive
for COVID-19
The Ottawa County Health Department (OCHD), along with public health partners, are reporting four Ottawa County residents have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19) (as of March 31).
In an effort to protect the privacy of these individuals and comply with HIPAA standards, no personal information will be released. Ottawa County Health Department staff is working with this individual to identify and contact any close contacts that may have been exposed.
OCHD recommends that all Ottawa County residents continue to take measures to protect themselves from the virus. Continue social distancing by keeping at least 6 feet between individuals; avoid groups of 10 people or more; wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoid touching your mouth, nose or eyes; cover coughs and sneezes with your arm; clean frequently touched surfaces; avoid those that are sick and stay home if you are sick.
As a reminder, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued a director’s order requiring all Ohioans to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19. The order is effective through April 6 at 11:59 p.m.
For up-to-date statistics, visit https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/.
Contact the Ottawa County Health Department at 419-734-6800. The department’s website, Ottawahealth.org also has information regarding COVID-19.

Hospice of NWO
institutes changes
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Mike DeWine’s Stay at Home Order, Hospice of Northwest Ohio has suspended public visiting hours at their two inpatient hospice centers.
The change will remain in effect until further notice. Families of patients receiving care in the centers are being given specific instructions as it pertains to private visitation.
Supply donations
The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is hitting the healthcare community as a whole is also affecting Hospice of Northwest Ohio. To protect vulnerable patient population as well as the care staff, hospice is asking the community to consider donating these items:
• Protective gowns.
• Masks with shield.
• Medical procedure masks and N95 masks. Hospice is accepting homemade masks as well as covers for the N95 masks.
• Hand sanitizing-wipes.
• Protective goggles.
• New or gently used scrubs.
Donations may be dropped off at the Perrysburg Center, 30000 East River Rd., or the Toledo Center, 800 South Detroit Ave. between noon and 5 p.m.

Gov. DeWine
signs H.B. 197
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on March 27 signed House Bill 197, which provides emergency relief to Ohioans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill:
• Waives state testing requirements for school children this year.
• Extends professional licenses for those who cannot get them renewed.
• Allows local governments to hold public meetings remotely and with transparency.
• Extends the income tax deadline to July 15.
• Extends absentee voting by mail until April 28.
• Provides funding for small businesses, such as day cares and services for the disabled.

Bulk pick-up
suspended
In Lake Township, including the Village of Millbury, Republic Services has suspended bulk item pick-up service until further notice, Mark Hummer, township administrator, said.
The company will only be picking up bagged trash or trash in containers. Loose items won’t be picked up. Recycling service will continue, Hummer said.

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