CLEVELAND — As restaurants across Ohio reopened for outdoor dining Friday as allowed by Gov. Mike DeWine, many others are preparing for the reopening of dine-in service that will be allowed on May 21.
In a one-on-one conversation with News 5’s John Kosich, DeWine said he’s confident reopening with guidelines was the best solution for the state and that they will continue to monitor the situation very carefully as it progresses.
The governor said that the decision to go to a restaurant and dine inside or outside will now be a personal choice as opposed to the orders previously issued that closed businesses in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“I think everyone’s got to make their own choices and I think it’s not so important how I feel but everyone’s got to understand their own situation,” DeWine said. “Let’s say someone is 50 but they’re diabetic, they’ve got to be more careful.”
DeWine said that those with other medical conditions known to put COVID-19 patients at higher risk of serious and sometimes deadly symptoms, such as obesity or asthma, and older Ohioans need to make sure they are being careful if they decide to go out.
"It doesn't mean you're not going to do things but it means that you make a choice and you calculate it, 'how important is this for me to do?'" DeWine said.
The governor also stressed the importance of social distancing during the reopening.
“We have to keep the distance,” DeWine said. “Ohioans have done a great job in trying to keep a distance—we’re asking now people to wear a mask...but we wear that mask not so much to protect ourselves as to protect others and if everybody does it then we get another layer of protection in there because what we don't want is to be moving into the fall and see our infection rates spiking up.”
The governor told News 5 that the way Ohioans handle these phases of reopenings will determine how and when additional reopenings are planned. By reducing the number of infections will not only allow more businesses to reopen but all businesses to remain open.
DeWine also said that he’s impressed with the reduction of infection rate and the way in which the state has been able to flatten the curve.
The governor—whose family owns the Asheville Tourists, a minor league baseball team in North Carolina— said that he spoke to the commissioner and the plan is to move forward with the season, minus fans, in July.
DeWine said that he hopes that with the increased testing that plan reaches fruition and baseball, minor and major league, as well as other sports, will be able to return in at least some capacity.
"Those of us who love baseball hope that we can come home at night and turn it on, watch the Indians or watch the Reds, and relax a little bit with baseball," DeWine said. "It's going to look pretty odd with no fans in the stands but for the fan, having baseball back on the radio—it's a great radio sport—and back on TV is a very happy thought."
The leagues will need to take serious precautions and the final decision on baseball's return will ultimately come down to how the country is faring with the pandemic come July, DeWine said.
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