Ohio COVID-19 Update 5/1/2020
By John Conley
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine held his daily press conference today and gave updates on the pandemic and how the state is planning to ease restrictions for the month of May.
Ohio was one of the first states to act against COVID-19 and it is beginning to pay off as restrictions on businesses are starting to be lifted. Instead of a stay at home order, DeWine has called it a Stay Safe Ohio order.
DeWine continued to praise the state for their efforts in how they have reacted to the virus and is pleased with the progress they are making.
The month of May is going to be a pivotal point for the state as week by week, businesses will begin to reopen and adjust to the guidelines they put in place. DeWine reiterated that in order to make this transition successful, they must continue to practice the safety procedures that are in place. Businesses have already worked out plans at how they are going to keep employees and customers safe.
DeWine laid out the following guidelines for how businesses will begin to reopen.
On May 1, hospitals, dentists’ offices, and veterinarians will continue routine appointments and adjust to new protocols put in place by the business.
On May 4, office buildings, and construction workers will begin to work again.
On May 12, retail stores will reopen.
DeWine says that retail stores are setting up an appointment schedule so people can schedule when to come and shop. Groups of dedicated people have been working on how to handle this and make it an easy transition.
DeWine also said that they have a working group trying to get outdoor recreation places such as gyms and youth sports back up and running with the best practices being followed.
Dr. Amy Acton talked about the numbers related to COVID-19, saying that hospitals have seen a fluctuating number of ICU admissions and believes we will get through this together and continue to take care of one another.
DeWine then opened the floor for questions as people asked about what the summer months would look like. DeWine said that they are optimistic about doing certain things in June and July, but people will have to make their own judgements if they want to engage in activities outside of the house. It continues to be uncertain of how this will play out in a few months.
