As the corona virus outbreak barrels throughout the US, states have scrambled to get ahead of its spread, often after weeks of inaction. But one governor imposed sweeping measures days before a single case had been reported in his state.
At the podium for Tuesday’s daily coronavirus press briefing, Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine provides the latest on the virus’s march through his state – 2,199 cases, 55 deaths, 585 hospitalisations.
His announcements are peppered with “thank yous” and mild “just-a-reminders”, encouraging continued social distancing. He holds printed notes, shuffling the papers occasionally, staring down at them frequently. He doesn’t speak in platitudes, but in detail, taking time to dictate every letter and character in the state’s coronavirus web address.
It’s a stark contrast from his New York counterpart Andrew Cuomo, whose own daily briefings have become a staple of the US coronavirus news cycle.