![Citing 鈥減ersonal reasons,鈥� according to Gov. DeWine's office, Dr. Joan Duwve will not be accepting the position as Ohio's next health director. [SC DHEC Facebook]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/56d7e16/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1055x542+0+0/resize/840x432!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F9%2F10%2FDr%20Joan%20Duwve%20SC%20DHEC.JPG)
Updated: 8:45 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020
Hours after Gov. Mike DeWine announced the appointment of Dr. Joan Duwve as director of the Ohio Department of Health, she withdrew from consideration for 鈥減ersonal reasons,鈥� according to a statement from the governor's office.
The search will resume for a permanent replacement for Dr. Amy Acton, who resigned from the post in June shortly after launching the process of lifting Ohio鈥檚 sweeping coronavirus restrictions. Those rules led to accolades from some and from others. Acton moved to a position in DeWine鈥檚 office before leaving for a nonprofit job in August. Lance Himes served as interim director since Acton鈥檚 departure.
Duwve is the for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. In that role she delivering the state鈥檚 message on containing the pandemic.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been immersed in this battle just like we鈥檝e been immersed in this battle,鈥� DeWine said at his Thursday coronavirus briefing.
Duwve took the job in South Carolina in April, after serving for years in Indiana鈥檚 public health agency. She has Ohio roots 鈥� a graduate of North Olmsted High School and The Ohio State University.
Duwve was expected to start the job around October 1.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to have her in here right now,鈥� Dewine said. 鈥淏ut she鈥檚 got to give notice in South Carolina.鈥�
The Ohio Department of Health reported 1,121 new daily coronavirus cases, slightly higher than the 21-day average of 1052. The number of deaths, 30, was also above the 21-day daily average of 20.
Overall, Ohio has had 134,086 cases to date and 4,354 deaths.
Among all age groups, the share of cases among Ohioans in their 20s . So far in September, they make up almost 33 percent of cases, in August they were 22 percent.
The state issued a new Thursday. Six counties are now in the red, meaning there鈥檚 a high risk of exposure and spread there.
One of those counties is Summit, which moved up one level from orange this week.
鈥淪eeing a sustained increase, sadly, in emergency department visits for COVID-like illness,鈥� DeWine said. 鈥淭hat is an early warning sign.鈥�
Average daily emergency room visits in Summit County jumped from five on Aug. 20 to nine on Aug. 29. According to DeWine, contact tracers found that people returning to the workplace and an unnamed fraternal club were the main sources of the outbreak.
鈥淟ike many of the clubs that are found throughout our state 鈥� nonprofit, has a restaurant, has a bar,鈥� DeWine said. 鈥淚n this case, two people visited the club while they were contagious. Since then, employees, other members and family members got the virus.鈥�
He said a total of 12 people have tested positive as a result, with four going to the hospital.
Officials are advising against travel to four states with high positivity rates of 15 percent or higher: North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Alabama.
鈥淎s we鈥檝e advised, it鈥檚 not always about where you鈥檙e going, that鈥檚 part of it, but it鈥檚 what you鈥檙e doing while you鈥檙e there,鈥� DeWine said.
