The United States won't be able to "turn a switch" and return to life as normal, particularly if Americans don't feel like they're safe, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine warned Monday.
"Whenever we open up, however we do it, if people aren't confident, if they don't think they're safe, they're not going to go to restaurants, they're not going to go to bars, they're not going to really get back into society," DeWine said on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe."
The Republican governor issued a stay-at-home order on March 22, but even before that ordered shutdown orders statewide that many credit with keeping Ohio's coronavirus numbers lower than those reported in several surrounding states.
However, he said Monday that coming out of the shutdowns will be "just as tough, if not tougher, than going into it and closing things down."
"I think every governor right now is trying to figure out, 'how do we open up? How do we do this?'" said DeWine. "Testing is absolutely imperative as we move forward. I think until there is a vaccine, there are people who are particularly vulnerable from a medical point of view, and they're going to have to be very, very, very careful. I think that sometimes we all think we're going to turn a switch and we're going to be back to normal. That's just not going to happen. We'll have to slowly do this."
Testing also will be "imperative," until a vaccine becomes available, said DeWine, and people who are particularly vulnerable will need to be "very careful."
Ohio faces its own challenges, as it has many urban areas, but also many sections that are agricultural.
The state's private sector has been quick to step up to make personal protection equipment, ventilators, and more, said DeWine.
"You know, hospitals historically don't necessarily work together," he added. "We've seen our hospitals really come forward in Ohio. They're working together."