Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Announces Statewide Mask Mandate

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is one of the latest leaders in the country to implement a sweeping mask mandate, making the announcement on Wednesday.

DeWine announced the statewide order on Wednesday, which will apply to all individuals over the age of ten, effective Thursday at 6:00 p.m:

“Wearing masks will make a difference,” DeWine said. “It will determine what our fall looks like. We want kids to go back to school, we want to see sports – to do that, it’s very important that all Ohioans wear a mask.”

DeWine said that mask-wearing is increasing in red counties with “very high exposure and spread,” while the rate of increase in new cases are slowing.

“We believe this is, at least in part, the result of people wearing masks, so we are cautiously optimistic that things are heading in the right direction,” he said:

The order has few exceptions, exempting those who have a medical condition or disability “or those communicating with someone with a disability.” It also exempts those who are “officiants at religious services,” those who are “actively involved in public safety,” and those who are “actively eating or drinking”:

DeWine also announced a travel advisory for all individuals coming into the Buckeye State from states reporting positive testing rates of 15 percent or higher:

Ohio reported 78,742  cases of the virus and 3,235 related deaths as of Wednesday.

Similarly, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) signed a mandatory mask order on Wednesday, requiring individuals in the area to wear a face-covering outside their homes.

“You should have on a mask because you do not know if you would be able to maintain social distance,” the mayor said.