Ohio Governor Announces Phased Re-Opening Plan

Governor Mike DeWine announced the first stages of the plan to re-open Ohio during his daily press conference this afternoon. As Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted and Dr. Acton have repeatedly stressed over the last week, a business’s ability to comply with the health and safety protocols must be in place before any individual business opens its doors.

The plan is phased and rolling:

• May 1 – Medical and Healthcare Professionals
  • Outpatient elective surgeries will be allowed.
  • The guidelines for other surgeries remain in place.
  • Dentists and veterinarians are included.
• May 4 – Manufacturing, Distribution, Construction and General Office
  • However, employers are encouraged to continue work-from-home practices for all employees that can do so.
• May 12 – Consumer, Retail and Services
  • Does not include restaurants, bars, gyms or hair salons.
  • The date for those facilities to open is yet to be determined.

In order to open or remain open, all businesses must:

• In all workplaces, require that all employees and customers wear facial coverings – “No mask, no work, no service, no exception.”
• Conduct daily health assessments by employers and employees (self-evaluation) to determine if “fit for duty."
• Maintain good hygiene practices at all times – hand washing and social distancing.
• Clean and sanitize workplaces throughout workday and at the close of business or between shifts.
• Limit capacity of business to meet social distancing requirements – establish maximum capacity at 50% of fire code and use appointment setting where possible to limit congestion.

There are also specific mandatory requirements for specific industries. While local health departments will be monitoring, the business will be responsible for enforcing.

With these modifications, the Stay-at-Home Order will remain in place.

As such, the following businesses and operations are to remain closed per existing Stay-at-Home Orders unless a variance is granted or until related orders are amended or rescinded.

• K-12 schools.
• Restaurants and bars – Carry-out and delivery services are permitted.
• Personal appearance/beauty services – Includes hair salons, day spas, nail salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, body piercing locations, tanning facilities, massage therapy locations and similar businesses.
• Older adult daycare services and senior centers. Adult day support or vocational habilitation services in congregate settings.
• Rooming and boarding houses, and workers’ camps.
• Entertainment/recreation/gymnasium sites. Includes, but is not limited to: All places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, such as laser tag facilities, roller skating rinks, ice skating rinks, arcades, indoor miniature golf facilities, bowling alleys, indoor trampoline parks, indoor water parks, and adult and child skill or chance game facilities remain closed.
• Gambling industries.
• Auditoriums, stadiums, arenas.
• Movie theaters, performance theaters, and concert and music halls.
• Public recreation centers and indoor sports facilities.
• Parades, fairs, festivals and carnivals.
• Amusement parks, theme parks, outdoor water parks, children's play centers, playgrounds and funplexes.
• Aquariums, zoos, museums, historical sites and similar institutions.
•  Country clubs and social clubs.
• Spectator sports, recreational sports tournaments and organized recreational sports leagues.
• Health clubs, fitness centers, workout facilities, gyms and yoga studios.
•  Swimming pools, whether public or private, except swimming pools for single households.
•  Residential and day camps.
• Campgrounds, including recreational camps and recreational vehicle (RV) parks. Excludes people living in campground RVs with no other viable place of residence and people living in cabins, mobile homes, or other fixed structures that are meant for single families and where preexisting residential activity already has been established (e.g., for people who have part-time pre-established residences at campgrounds for the summer months).

This includes the continuation of the 10-person maximum mass gathering ban. Individuals are still encouraged to stay at home as much as possible and only venture out for necessities.

The Order and supporting materials will be posted on the state’s COVID-19 webpage.

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