COLUMBUS — Libraries, museums and theaters are closed and Ohio school districts are scrambling after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a ban on large gatherings and shut down the state’s schools to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
The Ohio Department of Health call center is open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to answer questions regarding COVID-19 at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).
Click here for the latest information from the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The state now has five confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus, the latest being a 55-year-old man in Trumbull County in northeast Ohio.
“We are told by medical experts that, whatever the number is today, it will double in six days,” DeWine told reporters at a daily Statehouse briefing Thursday.
DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton estimate that 1 percent of the state’s population, or approximately 100,000 people, may already have contracted the disease that has sickened thousands of people worldwide.
How to talk to your kids about COVID-19
DO:
-be reassuring-
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-do research to truthfully answer questionsDON’T
-collude in your child’s anxiety by refusing to go outside or by buying face masks
The order to close covers both public and private schools but not preschools or daycares. It takes effect at the end of the day on Monday, though some schools such as Columbus plan to close that day as well. The order will be reviewed in April to see if it should be extended.
DeWine on Thursday acknowledged the hardships and disruptions that the order will create but said it’s necessary to help Ohio through the current crisis.
“This action is not an action that I took lightly but is an action that we are confident is the right thing to do,” he said. “And we understand the sacrifice this is going to entail but this is the best medical advice we can get by people who study viruses and we know it’s the right thing to do.”
More details on the school closures and ban on large gatherings here
Ohio State is extending its spring break 1 week, canceled all in-person classes for the rest of the semester and ordered dorms vacated within two weeks.
Acton on Thursday issued an order restricting mass gatherings over 100 people. She said making this hard decision will help lessen the disease’s impact.
“The steps we’re taking now will absolutely save lives,” Acton said.
The ban is not absolute and exempts airports, workplaces, restaurants, religious gatherings, weddings and funerals and other events.
Nevertheless, Ohio’s Roman Catholic bishops exempted parishioners from Mass for the next three weekends.
In addition to the five confirmed cases, the health department website reported Thursday that 52 people are being tested for the virus. Testing is performed on hospitalized patients and healthcare providers with known exposure to confirmed cases.
Most people recover from the coronavirus. Click here for more facts
The virus’ arrival comes just as Americans shake off the winter blues and generally plan spring events like concerts, games and shows. But no more.
Almost everything that would draw a crowd has now sent them all away. The list of venues where people can no longer find entertainment or diversion in central Ohio and across the U.S. continues to climb.
Major sporting events canceled or postponed
The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts has suspended all events and performances scheduled at the Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, McCoy Center for the Arts, and Riffe Center Theatre Complex through at least April 5.
To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus:
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds often with soap and water.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
-Source: Ohio Dept. of Health/CDC
Columbus Metropolitan Library is closing all 23 of its branches through at least April 6. The Southwest Public Libraries, which serves Grove City and Westland is suspending all programming and meetings through at least March 31.Union County’s Richwood Public Library will be closed from March 16 to April 5. Checkouts will be extended to April 20. The library will be opn Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
COSI has closed its doors for at least three weeks. The Ohio History Center and Ohio Village on the Northeast Side will be closed to the public beginning Friday and the Ohio History Connection’s historic site and museum system across Ohio will close effective Saturday.
UPDATE : The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is closed temporarily effective Monday, March 16. While there have been no known cases of exposure to COVID-19 at the Zoo, the decision to close was made to further support efforts to reduce the rapid spread of the virus. Zoo officials say they will monitor developments and follow guidance from authorities to determine when the park will reopen.
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in will temporarily close beginning Sunday and events and activities have been cancelled or postponed until further notice.
The zoo and all libraries in Toledo are closing beginning this weekend.
All facilities in the Ohio State University health system are restricting visitors to one per patient, with exceptions for children, end-of-life patients and the with significant medical issues. All visitors to hospitals will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and travel or exposure history.
Akron Children’s Hospital is limiting visitors to two a day per patient.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced Friday morning that the city’s recreation centers would be closed and programs canceled until April 3. The Dublin Community Recreation Center will close until further notice after regular business hours Friday.
The Columbus Museum of Art is closing for three weeks at the end of business on March 14.
All of the state’s casinos and racinos were closed to the public.
Around the nation, coronavirus worries have scrapped or shuttered are everything from Coachella and Carnegie Hall, Major League Soccer, Disneyland and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.