COLUMBUS – A number of Ohio cities have begun requiring that face coverings be worn to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Dayton are among the largest cities to institute the requirements, but Bexley, White, Grandview Heights and Dublin are among the central Ohio communities to mandate face coverings. All require masks to be worn inside public places, such as stores and restaurants, while some extend the requirement to outdoor areas where social distancing of six feet is not being observed or is not feasible.
City of Dublin issues mandatory face coverings city-wide. #DublinCares #Coronavirus #publicsafety #economicrecovery https://t.co/VIMdMIB6ae pic.twitter.com/StECO074W1
— Dublin Ohio (@DublinOhio) July 3, 2020
Franklin County has the dubious honor of being the Ohio county most likely to be upgraded to the highest level in a new color-coded alert system unveiled by Gov. Mike DeWine Thursday to assess which counties may be seeing flare-ups of coronavirus cases and should take additional precautions.
The county is among seven designated as Level 3 but is the only county that is flagged as being in danger of moving to the highest level, due to what DeWine called an “explosive” rise in coronavirus cases.
“Franklin County is on a watch list with the grave concern that it could be moving from red to purple” on the scale of four alert levels.
In the color-coded system, the “red” designation means that a county has met four or five indicators, indicating “very high exposure and spread.”
Residents should limit activities as much as possible and follow all current health orders.
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Franklin County has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Ohio at 10,410 with 429 deaths.
The alert levels range from “yellow,” designating a county that has met zero or one indicator, to “purple,” where a county has met six or seven indicators, indicating severe exposure and spread. Residents are encouraged to leave home for supplies and services and follow all current health orders.
The alert levels are determined by seven factors: new cases per capita, a sustained increase in new cases, the proportion of cases that are not in congregate settings, such as prisons or nursing homes; a sustained increase in emergency room and outpatient visits and new COVID-19 hospital admissions, and the intensive care unit bed occupancy rate.
The state reports 805 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 57,956 with 2,927 deaths. The number of new cases was 163 fewer than Sunday and the smallest increase in several days.
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The Columbus Metropolitan Library suspended limited services inside of its buildings as part of its phased reopening. Curbside pickup remains available.
The move comes in response to recent increases in COVID-19 cases in Franklin County and warnings from Gov. Mike DeWine and public health officials.