Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine said Sunday he could easily ramp up coronavirus testing, but would need the FDA to “prioritize companies that are putting a slightly different formula together.”
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” DeWine said that increased testing is what’s needed “to get moving in Ohio.”
“Our big problem today, I could probably double, maybe even triple testing in Ohio virtually overnight, if the FDA would prioritize companies that are putting a slightly different formula together for the extraction reagent kit,” he said. “We have a shortage, worldwide shortage of some of the materials that go into this. So, we really need help.”
DeWine defended the right of protesters who came out to criticize his lockdown order on Saturday, but that “we are going to do what I think is right.”
“The only thing that I've asked our protests to do is to observe social distancing,” he said. “We're all big believers in the First Amendment. They were protesting against me yesterday, and that's just fine. They have every right to do that.
“We are going to do what we think is right, what I think is right. And that is try to open this economy, but do it very, very carefully so we don't get a lot of people killed.”
He said the aim now is to begin the phased reopening of the state on May 1.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.