COVID-19

• 6/4/20 - Click here for the Director of Health's order amending requirements for non-essential surgeries and procedures

  • Updated Health Alert about testing procedures

  • COVID-19 Testing Priorities graphic

  • Microbiology Specimen Submission Form​

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• 5/20/20- Click here for Ohio's FAQs for Massage Therapy, Acupuncture & Cosmetic Therapy Reopening.

  • The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards' Guidelines for Practice are also now available here. However, these recommendations and guidelines do not replace any directives or guidance provided by federal or state agencies, regulatory boards, or other authorities having jurisdiction.

• 5/12/20- As Lt. Governor Husted announced during the May 12 press conference, all massage therapy in Ohio may resume May 15 as long as providers follow the Responsible RestartOhio Sector-Specific Operating Requirements. The Medical Board is pleased to present these guidelines for massage therapists, acupuncturists and cosmetic therapists which were developed by a collaboration of the board, industry voices and the Ohio Department of Health. The Medical Board recognizes that massage therapy, acupuncture, and cosmetic therapy are specialized industries and require particular guidance to support licensees and their clients' health and safety in the course of practice. 

• 5/8/20- Health Care Restart Resources Email: updated testing guidance, certification of COVID-19 deaths, coding changes, water supply flushing when returning to buildings, Responsible Restart Ohio guide for health care

• 5/8/20- Massage Therapy Update: The Medical Board is working diligently on the plan for reopening all massage therapy locations. Information will be available on med.ohio.gov, coronavirus.ohio.gov and sent to licensees as soon as the plan for client safety is finalized and a date is decided.

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• 4/28/20 - Massage therapy locations are not included in the Ohio Department of Health’s Responsible RestartOhio plan. The State Medical Board of Ohio continues to follow the directives and guidance issued by the Ohio Department of Health regarding our licensees. We will continue to update our website and send updates as we receive information.

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• 4/28/20 - Responsible RestartOhio Plan

Previously Issued Guidance & Updates

• 4/24/20 - Provider updates (reporting cases, PPE, infection control procedures, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, wellness resources, telemedicine)

• 4/17/20 - COVID-19 case reporting and deferred elective procedures 

• 4/9/20 - COVID-19 updates from the April board meeting

• 4/6/20 - DEA decision tree for prescribing during the pandemic

  • Updated PPE guidance (ODH PPE message, PPE strategies, PPE use & reuse)

• 3/31/20 - CDC health alert: severe illness associated with using non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate

  • DEA guidance on Oral CII prescriptions

  • DEA registration of emergency temporary sites

• 3/30/20 - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Issues Statement on Prescribing Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine

• 3/26/20 - YOUR ideas for conservation of PPE

• 3/26/20 - UPDATED State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy rule addressing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine

• ​State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Guidance & Waivers

• 3/20/20 - Director of Health order for Massage Therapists

• 3/18/20 - Telemedicine, continuing education & CE changes

  • Updated telemedicine guidance

  • Special Meeting of the State Medical Board of Ohio

• 3/14/20 - Updated guidance for resource management; updated director's journal entry

• 3/11/20 - Statement on COVID-19 for Medical Board licensees 

• 3/5/20 - CDC updated Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Persons with Potential COVID-19 Exposures: Geographic Risk and Contacts of Laboratory-confirmed Cases

• 3/4/20 - CDC updated Interim US Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with COVID-19

• 2/28/20 - Coronavirus update from the Ohio Department of Health

• 1/29/20 - Health care providers reporting requirement notice

Trusted resources

• State of Ohio's COVID-19 website

• State of Ohio's COVID-19 resources for health care providers

• Ohio Department of Health's COVID-19 call center

  • open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

  • 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's information for health care professionals

• World Health Organization's COVID-19 info

• DEAs COVID-19 information page

• Resources for children and pregnant women

Important Contacts:

Your Local Health Department   ---   Your Local Emergency Management Agency