COLUMBUS – Friday was the first day of a statewide mask order in Ohio, seen as necessary to slow the growth of the coronavirus.
That day, the state reported the second-highest number of new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
Governor Mike DeWine backtracked on a statewide mask order early on in the pandemic but reversed himself again this week because the virus, and information about it, are “evolving,” he said.
“We’ve been at 60% of the state, now it’s time to move to 100% of the state,” he told reporters at his regular Statehouse coronavirus briefing Thursday afternoon.
Hours before the mandate went into effect, DeWine designated 23 counties in Ohio on “red alert” on the state’s color-coded alert system (see below). The number had been 19 the week before.
Eight counties were upgraded from the lower “orange” level, including Marion County in central Ohio, while four were downgraded.
Clark, Defiance, Erie, Hardin, Henry, Lawrence, Marion and Medina counties were elevated to Level 3, meaning they continue to show high positivity rates and had an increase in the number of residents seeking treatment for virus-related symptoms and would have fallen under mandatory mask orders.
The counties that were downgraded to Level 2 are Butler, Lorain, Summit and Wood counties. Allen County was placed on the “watch list,” meaning it was in danger of being raised to the highest alert level; Athens County was taken off the “watch list.”
The Ohio Department of Health reported 1,560 new cases Friday, a number higher than the state’s 21-day average, and the second-highest of the pandemic. The total number of confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began is 81,746 with 3,256 fatalities. The state says 56,823 people are believed to have recovered from the disease.
The mask order follows experts’ guidance that widespread mask-wearing over a month or six weeks could put a severe crimp in the virus.
State and local health officials are reporting 59 residents and 32 staff members at the Newark Care and Rehabilitation Center in Licking County are actively suffering from the illness and 11 residents have died.
Cleveland and Columbus were included on a list of 12 cities where the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended “aggressive” action to stem the spread of COVID-19.
DeWine pointed out that Columbus has the largest percentage of younger residents than any other major Ohio city and one of the groups that has seen the most dramatic rise in coronavirus cases in that between the ages of 20 and 40 and many outbreaks can be traced to bars.
“It should not shock anybody that that’s what we’re seeing in Columbus but we are focused on it,” DeWine said.
There were 15,301 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Franklin County Friday, most in the state.
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The 55th annual Columbus Oktoberfest was been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, organizers announced Friday.
The event, which typically attracts more than 30,000 visitors, was scheduled for Sept. 11-13 at the Ohio Expo Center.