Ohio orders abortion clinics to stop ‘nonessential abortions’ because of coronavirus

The Ohio Attorney General’s office ordered abortion clinics in the state to stop performing “nonessential” abortions and surgeries amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to letters the AG’s office sent.

“The order was issued, in part, to preserve PPE (personal protective equipment) for health care providers who are battling the Covid-19 pandemic that is spreading in our state and also to preserve critical hospital capacity and resources,” the letters, which were reviewed by CNN, say. Surgical abortions, the letters say, “involve the use of PPE.”

The Attorney General’s office said the letters, signed by Ohio Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Fulkerson, comply with an order from Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, who wrote that effective March 18, all non-essential or elective surgeries and procedures “should not be conducted.”

“This is not an abortion issue,” Bethany McCorkle, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, told CNN. “A letter was also sent to a urology group that was allegedly performing elective surgeries. As our client, if Dr. Acton’s office determines that her order was violated by any surgical facility in Ohio, they can refer it to our office to pursue legal action on behalf of the Ohio Department of Health.”

In her order, Acton defined a non-essential surgery as “any procedure that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient.”

Top health care officials across the country say there is not enough stockpiled medical protective equipment like masks, gowns and gloves to fulfill the anticipated need of nation’s health care system as it deals with coronavirus. To save equipment and hospital space, the White House recommended canceling non-essential elective surgeries such as cataracts and colonoscopies.

Ohio issued a statewide “stay at home” order Sunday to try to stop the coronavirus from infecting and killing more people, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said. DeWine, a Republican, was among the first governors in the country to aggressively shut down activity to stem the virus’s spread.

There are 247 confirmed coronavirus cases in Ohio and three people have died from the virus, according to CNN’s latest tally.

According to The Washington Post, letters were only sent to facilities that were the subject of complaints to health departments, according to McCorkle. Those clinics include Planned Parenthood Southwest in Cincinnati, the Women’s Med Center in Dayton and the Preterm facility in Cleveland. CNN has reached out to all three clinics for comment.

Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region said in a statement that it is abiding by the order regarding personal protective equipment.

“Planned Parenthood’s top priority is ensuring that every person can continue accessing essential health care, including abortion,” the organization said in a statement. “Under that order, Planned Parenthood can still continue providing essential procedures, including surgical abortion, and our health centers continue to provide services that our patients depend on.”

NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, a non-profit that supports legal abortion, said that “abortion care is a time-sensitive medical situation that cannot be significantly delayed without profound consequences.”

“Ohioans are continuing to rely on their trusted community abortion providers during this crisis, and Ohio’s elected officials should not stand between patients and their doctors,” the group said. “Abortion is an essential health service. Attorney General Dave Yost and Ohio Right to Life president and State Medical Board member Mike Gonidakis should not be exploiting the Covid-19 crisis to further their agenda to close Ohio’s abortion clinics.”

In a press conference on Saturday, Acton said the order was not a political decision.

“I am the doctor for 11.7 million people and all women no matter where they fall on this,” she said. “And I think that’s very important we cannot allow the politics of things to get in the way of doing what we have to do in a state of emergency.”