Salons, restaurants, bars, spas start reopening May 15

COLUMBUS — Announcing the next phase of the restart of Ohio’s pandemic-crippled economy, Gov. Mike DeWine says personal service businesses, bars and restaurants can begin reopening in May 15.

The Republican governor said during his televised coronavirus briefing Thursday that hair and nail salons and barber shops can reopen on that date and food service establishments will be open for outdoor service and can fully reopen in two weeks, on May 21.

The reopening of eating establishments comes with limits, including parties of 10 or fewer and spacing between tables either by a barrier or 6 feet of distance.

DeWine says customers will not be required by the state to wear masks but they should be prepared to wait in their cars or in designated areas for service.

See a video on making your own face covering and instructions on how to wear masks

“What we’re trying to marry is the science and the practicality of that profession and business,” said DeWine, who has won praise for his handling of the outbreak but has also taken fire from legislators in his own party and conservative protesters, who think he hasn’t acted quickly enough to reopen the state’s economy, as well as critics who say he is rushing the process.

His administration estimates that, by May 21, over 92 percent of the state’s economy will be restored.

Small businesses, like HiHo Brewing Company in Cuyahoga Falls, employ more than 45 percent of Ohio’s work force but have seen their revenue plummet during the coronavirus shutdown. (Ali Hovan)

DeWine promised guidelines for the reopening of child care centers would be announced Monday.

DeWine’s update came as Ohio reported that more than 1.1 million people have filed unemployment claims in the past seven weeks, with more than 61,000 jobless claims filed for the week ending May 2.

Many small businesses in Ohio have seen their revenue drop by 80 percent or more during the COVID-19 lockdown as DeWine’s stay-at-home order choked off the flow of customers in March and April.

“The biggest issue I hear is cash flow. But there’s a myriad of issues, so it just depends on the type of small business,” said Kevin Boehner, director of the Ohio Small Business Council.

Small businesses employ more than 45 percent of Ohio’s work force, Boehner estimated.

So far, Ohio small businesses have received almost 19-billion dollars from the federal Payroll Protection Program, loans that don’t have to be paid back if spent on payroll.

Companies can also turn to the state Office of Small Business Relief for help.

UPDATE: The state reported 885 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases 23,016 with 1,306 total deaths.

The toll from the coronavirus inside Ohio’s nursing homes continues to climb.

The state’s health department says close to 500 residents of long-term care centers have died in the past three weeks. That’s nearly double the total reported for the previous two weeks.

The Ohio Department of Health says the increase in deaths could be attributed to a significant jump or a backlog of cases being added this past week.

Seven counties across the state have seen more than 30 deaths at long-term care centers since mid-April. Toledo and Lucas County reported the most, with 65 nursing home deaths.