Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine lifted the state’s stay-at-home order on Tuesday, changing it instead to an “urgent health advisory.”
Saying that Ohio had been successful in flattening the curve and that the rates of infection are down, DeWine cut short the stay-at-home order, instead shifting it to “strong recommendations.”
“This is a new phase in our battle against the virus, and it really is even more incumbent, as we open up Ohio economically, on each of us to protect each other,” DeWine said at a press conference, adding that the new order is title “Ohioans Protecting Ohioans.”
Although staying at home is no longer required, social distancing is still encouraged and businesses will be required to follow certain guidelines.
3. It considers our most vulnerable Ohioans as those who can suffer the worst impacts from the virus. The order strongly recommends that high-risk Ohioans stay at home as much as possible. They should avoid places where they are likely to encounter a lot of people.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 19, 2020
The recommendations include a limit of 10 people for mass gatherings and frequent handwashing.
It also “incorporates all of the business orders about social distancing and sanitation, including employees wearing masks, as well as efforts to protect employees and efforts to protect the public,” DeWine said in a tweet.
Ohio has been slowly rolling out orders for various business sectors, dictating how and when they can reopen.
The advisory follows a list of business sector opening dates published last week as part of the Responsible RestartOhio plan. According to the list, campgrounds are set to reopen on May 21, horse racing with spectator is set to reopen May 22 and child care is set to reopen on May 31. Gyms, sports leagues with no or limited contact, public pools and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles are all set to reopen on May 26.
Ohio Health Director Amy Action also recently announced that safety practices for restaurants would be in place until July 1.
The language for the advisory is currently unavailable as it has not yet been signed, a spokesperson told Cleveland.com.
“The coronavirus is not gone. It is real. And it is deadly,” DeWine said in a tweet. “This new phase that we are now in is about learning to live with this virus. It is with us — it will remain with us — and we must do all we can to contain it and keep it from killing our fellow citizens.”
Ohio currently has more than 27,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The death toll in the state is 1,720.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Mike DeWine” by The Ohio Channel.
