Ohio Gov. DeWine Imposes 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Curfew Beginning Thursday

 

Ohio will see a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting on Thursday in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus, according to an announcement from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday.

The curfew will run for 21 days and apply to retail and indoor seating for restaurants, according to Fox8. It does not apply to restaurants open for takeout or delivery, pharmacies or grocery stores. It also does not apply to those who are seeking medical care, have an emergency or those who need to be at work.

“We believe this will help reduce COVID-19 spread. I’m also asking each Ohioan every day to do at least one thing that reduces your contact with others,” DeWine said, reported Fox8.

 

Ohio has seen a spike in confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the beginning of the month, jumping thousands of cases overnight. According to data from The Covid Tracking Project, Ohio has added more than 7,000 cases per day since November 12, reaching more than 8,000 on November 13. This is a jump from the more than 3,000 cases on November 1.

The curfew follows DeWine saying that he would not want to impose a second lockdown, opting instead for a “slow down.”

DeWine’s announcement was met with criticism from both sides, with some calling for additional restrictions, while others said it was too harsh.

United States Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) pushed back against the curfew, pointing out the seemingly arbitrary timing of the curfew.

The curfew was also met with criticism from those who thought the measure was not strong enough, including Columbus City Councilman Shannon Hardin.

Jane Garrett, a former Democratic Congressional candidate, slammed DeWine for having “no spine.”

The curfew was supported by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Ohio Restaurant Association President Jone Barker, according to Fox8

Ohio currently has more than 296,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and more than 5,400 deaths, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.

Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.

Related posts

Comments