Governor Mike DeWine Begins First Phase of Reopening Ohio

FILE - In this March 5, 2019 file photo, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine speaks during the Ohio
AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File

Ohio governor Mike DeWine is starting the first phase of reopening his state during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. Phase one will begin in the coming days and will be finalized by May 12.

While some businesses will be allowed to reopen — beginning on May 1 as part of Ohio’s phase one of reopening the state — businesses, such as restaurants, gyms, daycare centers, and hair salons will remain closed until further notice, according to a report by WKYC.

“We know there is a great desire to get restaurants fully open and to get hair salons and daycares open,” said DeWine. “But we must first start down the pathway of opening things up where we thought there was less risk and a more controllable risk.”

The governor added that the reopening of these businesses will depend on how the state’s Wuhan coronavirus numbers fare following the initial opening of businesses in Ohio’s first phase of reopening.

Businesses that are allowed to reopen during phase one include dentists and veterinarians, as well as a healthcare opening that allows all “nonessential” medical procedures. These services are allowed to reopen on May 1.

The report added that while the state’s current stay-at-home order is set to expire on May 1, the governor has announced that it will remain in place, and that gatherings of more than ten people are still prohibited until further notice.

As for manufacturing, distribution and construction, those services are also allowed to reopen during Ohio’s first phase, starting on May 4 — so long as all employees and clients follow required safety practices, which include wearing masks, as well as limiting the capacity of the building to 50 percent of its fire code.

General office buildings will also be able to reopen on May 4, but companies will still be asked to have their employees work from home as much as possible, reports WKYC.

As for consumer and retail services, those businesses will be allowed to reopen on May 12 — the end of Ohio’s first phase of reopening. Masks will also be mandated for employees at consumer and retail companies.

Ohio has experienced 16,325 confirmed coronavirus cases and 753 deaths as of Monday at the time of publishing.

Governor DeWine had declared Ohio in a State of Emergency on March 9, after the confirmation of three positive coronavirus cases. Nonessential medical procedures were then prohibited in Ohio on March 17, and a stay-at-home order was later established on March 23.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.