COLUMBUS, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine said Thursday that the state’s stay-at-home order, which is set to expire Friday night, will be extended with exceptions related to the state’s plan to begin reopening the state in May.
The stay-at-home order,issued by Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton and DeWine on March 22 and extended to May 1 on April 2, ordered all Ohio residents to remain in their homes, allowing for only essential travel and activities.
Click here to read the state's amended stay-at-home order in its entirety.
In response to a reporter’s question about the order, set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Friday, DeWine said the order will be extended, with exceptions.
“When retail opens up, well that certainly will be a major exception for that,” DeWine said. Under the state’s reopening plan, retail stores and services will be allowed to start operating again on May 12, with certain mandates and recommended best practices.
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“Certainly there’s an exception, just in a few days, when manufacturing and other companies are allowed to start back,” DeWine said. Manufacturing, distribution, construction and general office environments will be allowed to reopen on May 4, also with new requirements and guidelines.
“Again, it’s important as we try to go back to work as we go back to work and get this economy moving and get more people working, but we do it carefully,” DeWine said.
DeWine said, though, that the order will remain much the same, with an emphasis on social distancing as the key to preventing the spread of coronavirus.
“People certainly can go to the grocery store,” DeWine said. “You know they can meet with their own family at home, they can take walks, they can do a number of different things. The social distancing is really the key to everything, and people just keeping that distance. And that’s what we need to continue to do as we move to get back to work.”
