Stay Safe Ohio Order

In Friday's press conference, Governor DeWine introduced the new “Stay Safe Ohio” Order (not a “Stay-at-Home Order”). Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted stated that the change in verbiage represents a transition to a next phase for how we will live our lives. Governor DeWine’s goal with this Order is to assure Ohioans that we can do two things at once: we can stay safe, protect each other, and protect our most vulnerable populations; and at the same time, we can put people back to work.

The expiration date for the Order is May 29, 2020, but Governor DeWine emphasized that Ohioans should not read too much into this date because circumstances may change throughout the month.

The Order provides that certain businesses can re-open as follows:

• Friday, May 1, 2020: Medical providers including hospitals, dentists, and veterinarians may now resume non-essential surgeries and procedures.

• Monday, May 4, 2020: Offices, industry, and construction will re-open, but it is anticipated that many offices may still choose to work from home if possible.

• Tuesday, May 12, 2020: Retail will re-open. As of May 1, 2020, retail appointments and curbside pick-up are permitted if the business lends itself to that activity.

The decision to re-open was made by bringing together people who know these particular industries, business, and trades, along with various other experts to look into when and how to safely open certain businesses. When these businesses re-open, standards regarding social distancing will remain in effect.

The Stay Safe Ohio Order can be found here: https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/static/publicorders/Directors-Stay-Safe-Ohio-Order.pdf