Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) extended the state’s stay-at-home order till May 29.
The new “Stay Safe Ohio Order,” which replaced the current stay-at-home order ending Friday night, incorporates the business and service openings announced as part of the Responsible RestartOhio plan, according to the governor’s press release.
Ohio has been in lockdown since March 22 due to the coronavirus. While Ohio has been locked down, many Ohioans have lost their jobs. Over the last six weeks, more than 1 million people have filed for unemployment benefits.
Earlier this week, DeWine released the Responsible RestartOhio plan that detailed how businesses would start opening in Ohio:
- May 1: doctor visits, well-care checks, out-patient surgeries, imaging procedures, diagnostic tests, and dental and veterinary services.
- May 4: general office environments and businesses in manufacturing, distribution, and construction
- May 12: consumer, retail and service businesses
The new ODH order encourages businesses set to open to allow workers to work from home, but if that is not possible the health department wants businesses to keep employees six feet away from each other, take people’s temperatures daily and have workers wear face coverings.
Facial coverings are not required by the public to wear when going into businesses, but these companies must allow people to wear facial coverings in their business place.
Businesses that will remain closed until May 29 include restaurants and bars, barbershops, salons, tattoo parlors, gyms, indoor family entertainment centers, child care services and senior centers.
In the “Stay Safe Ohio Order,” it prohibits the gathering of more than 10 people. This part does not apply to weddings, funerals and religious gatherings. Wedding receptions are limited to 10 people.
For elderly people and those who are vulnerable to the coronavirus, the order asks that these people stay home as much as possible unless they need to seek medical attention.
When people do leave the house, the order stresses that people try to remain six feet apart from each other. For people who are planning on staying in Ohio while this order is ongoing, the state is asking them to self-isolate for 14 days.
As of Friday, ODH numbers show that the state has 17,962 cases and 1,002 deaths.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Mike DeWine and Amy Acton” by Mike DeWine.
