Governor Announces Stay-At-Home Order

In his daily news conference on Ohio’s battle with the COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Mike DeWine announced a stay-at-home order Sunday.

“It’s time… it’s time we had to make this into an order.”

As of 2pm ET Sunday, Ohio has 351 reported cases of coronavirus and three deaths. The cases are spread across 40 of the state’s 88 counties.

See the order here: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home/public-health-orders/directors-order-to-stay-at-home

Prior to Sunday’s conference, DeWine had Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton sign the order. The Governor stressed this is not a suggestion, but an order which will go into effect at 11:59pm Monday.

The order permits essential business to remain open, but to continue to use the practices in regards to social distancing. Leaving home for essential activities is permitted for health and safety, necessary supplies and services, for outdoor activities, certain types of work and to take care of others.

The Governor added the actions taken now will determine the impact of the virus. The state is doing “everything that we can because that’s going to impact the future, that’s going to impact where this virus goes.”

DeWine reiterated history is on the side of acting early. “If you don’t do these things early enough you pay the price” said the Governor “and the price you pay is a lot of people dying.”

Lt. Governor Jon Husted explained the State has turned to business and manufacturing sectors for keeping their operations running. Homeland Security lists 16 critical infrastructure sectors which Ohio has used to guide them.

“We need consistency in the supply chain” said Husted. “We worked with them using the Homeland Security Document on that basis, because they (Homeland Security) really want state’s to be consistent.”

The alphabetical listing includes:

Chemical Sector

Commercial Facilities Sector

Communications Sector

Critical Manufacturing Sector

Dams Sector

Defense Industrial Base Sector

Emergency Services Sector

Energy Sector

Financial Services Sector

Food and Agriculture Sector

Government Facilities Sector