By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press, and staff
COLUMBUS — Governor Mike DeWine eased Ohio’s stay-at-home order and travel restrictions from mandatory to strongly recommended Tuesday.
Urgent Health Advisory – Ohioans Protecting Ohioans:
We are now moving from orders to strong recommendations. This is a new phase in our battle against #COVID19, and it is incumbent upon each of us to protect each other.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 19, 2020
“This new phase that we’re in is about learning to live with the virus. It is with us and will remain with us for a while,” he said.
He emphasized that Ohioans must keep putting the safety of others first to contain its spread.
“Our ability to recover economically is tied — tied at the hip — to the whole issue about public safety and public health. You cannot separate the two,” DeWine said.
The new “urgent health advisory” still strongly encourages Ohioans to stay home or to avoid unnecessary travel.
Read the text of the “Ohioans Protecting Ohioans” advisory
DeWine said those who travel into Ohio will no longer need to observe a 14-day quarantine, unless they’re showing signs COVID-19.
“Because we were proactive and worked together, we are better prepared as a state to re-open our economy and begin a much-needed economic recovery. Rescinding the stay-at-home order and lifting Ohio’s travel prohibitions mark a significant new step in this process,” Ohio Senate President Larry Obhoff (R-Medina) said a day before senators turned back an effort by Republicans to rein in the authority of health director Dr. Amy Acton to issue public health directives.
Upcoming reopening dates:
May 21 – Reopening campgrounds
May 22 – Horse racing resumes without spectators
May 26 – Reopening BMV offices, gyms and fitness centers, recreation centers, swimming pools. Non-contact sports and activities (tennis, golf, etc.) resume
May 31 – Reopening child care centers and day camps
A spokesman said the advisory won’t lift mandatory business protocols, restrictions on large gatherings or social distancing guidelines.
DeWine estimates 95% of the state’s economy will be restored by the end of May with indoor dining returning to bars and restaurants Thursday and the reopening of BMV offices, gyms and other businesses on May 26.
The state reports 29,436 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 1,781 deaths on Wednesday.
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DeWine says he’s working on a plan to ramp up testing for the coronavirus at nursing homes around the state.
That includes deploying Ohio National Guard units to assist with the testing.
An industry group argues that testing all the nursing home residents and staff in the state would cost over $24.9 million, The estimate from American Health Care Association and National Center of Assisted Living not include the cost to test residents and staff at assisted living and other long term care facilities, president and CEO Mark Parkinson said.
The number of deaths from the coronavirus in Ohio’s nursing homes is now over 1,000. Long-term centers now account for three out of five deaths from the virus in the state.
The new statistics obtained by The Associated Press from the Ohio Department of Health show that as of last week, 1,031 residents of Ohio’s long-term care facilities have died from the virus.
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Ohio House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) has sent a letter to Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) repeating calls by Democrats to require facemasks and physical distancing
“As elected officials, we have an obligation to lead by example. We remain concerned with the example we are setting for our fellow Ohioans,” Boggs wrote in the letter.
Householder and majority Republicans rejected a measure Tuesday, sponsored by Rep. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood), that would have required members and staff to wear masks during committee meetings or on the House floor.
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The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation will begin distributing at least 2 million non-medical-grade face coverings to Ohio employers who are covered by the insurance program, DeWine announced.
Employers that participate in the State Insurance Fund will receive a package of at least 50 face coverings from the bureau. The packages will be shipped in batches beginning Wednesday.
The masks, are funded through BWC’s existing budget and will not impact any premiums, DeWine’s office said.