Governor Mike DeWine says Ohio’s restaurants and salons can begin to reopen next week. Restaurants and bars will reopen in phases. Customers can expect to see big changes at these businesses.
“This is a high risk operation,” DeWine warned. However, he said keeping businesses closed posed a higher risk to the economy. “I’m optimistic we can do this. We are Ohioans. We’re going to get through this.”
We break down the major announcements from today’s press conference.
Restaurants and Bars
Governor DeWine said bars and restaurants will open for outside dining next week and or indoor dining on May 21.
He said restaurants and bars had worked with the state to develop the new rules. “Both restaurants and bars are already highly regulated by the State of Ohio. The group that was put together included people who run restaurants, bars, and diners. We had a lot of people weighing in.”
- May 15 – Outside dining
- May 21 – Inside dining
Changes to bars and restaurants
- They will need to create a floor plan that complies with social distancing. There needs to be six feet of space or a physical barrier.
- Waiting areas – you may be asked to wait in your car.
- Buffets and salad bars will no longer be self-service.
- Employees will be required to wear masks in many cases but not all.
- Customers may be asked to wear masks at discretion of owner.
- Very clear guidelines already exist for gloves. Servers and cashiers probably won’t wear.
- Open spaces like dance floors must be repurposed as seating or closed off
Lt. Governor Jon Husted said that once restaurants open, 92% of Ohio’s economy will have reopened.
Salons Reopen May 15
Salons, barbershops, and other beauty businesses will reopen on May 15.
DeWine said, “I want to thank the working group. We had barbers. We had hair stylists. We had people from all over the state of Ohio who came up with the best practices.”
Changes to Salons
- May need to wait in car for appointments
- Come one person at a time
- Social distancing in waiting areas
- No magazines, product testing, or self-serve beverages
- Stylists will wear masks
- Customers may be required to wear masks
COVID -19 Cases
Ohio Cases
- Suspected Cases – 22,131
Confirmed Cases – 21, 132 - Hospitalizations – 4,140
ICU Admissions – 1,167 - Suspected Deaths – 1,271
Confirmed Deaths – 1, 153
Scioto County Cases
- Confirmed – 12
- Suspected – 1
State is showing 15 positives. The Scioto County Health Department says it’s an error.
Don’t Relax
The Governor warned against Ohioans letting their guard down as the state reopens.
DeWine said, “This is a significant time in our journey. This is a marathon. This is not a sprint. We are in this for the long haul. What we have to do is complicated. The best practices in these businesses and professions is important. There’s still a lot that we don’t know about this virus. As we open up the economy, the risk is up.”
DeWine said we could expect cases of Coronavirus to rise as the economy opens up and urged all Ohioans to follow the best practices put forward by his business advisory groups. The Governor said controlling case of COVID-19 had more to do with the individual choices of Ohioans than any orders he might put in place.
“It’s important to continue the social distancing. It’s important to wear masks. This is a gamble. This is a new part of the journey. This is a road that has danger signs. The danger is that we relax.”
He spoke to those under 60 with no medical issues. He said their risk was much smaller than older people. But said, “People your age can get awfully, awfully sick. Those numbers don’t show up in the deaths that Dr. Acton talks about every day. You have it in your power not only to impact your family but other people’s families as well.” He warned that young people can be carriers.