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Ohio Ending Mass Gathering Ban As Part Of Simplified Health Order
By: Gabe Rosenberg | WOSU
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COLUMUBS, Ohio (WOSU) — Ohio is issuing a new, streamlined health order that encompasses its guidance on mass gatherings and other COVID-19 restrictions. Gov. Mike DeWine announced the new order at a press conference Monday, calling it a return to “basics.”
DeWine and Vanderhoff, along with Ohio Department of Health director Stephanie McCloud, said the simplified order drills down on the “common sense” actions at the core of Ohio’s previous health measures.
“We’re making it clear in this order that proms can occur. We’re making it clear in this order that festivals can occur. We’re making it clear in this order that graduations can occur,” DeWine said. “You can do about anything, it’s about how we do it.”
McCloud said the consolidated order, which is expected to be signed today, will help clear up confusion that Ohioans might have about what demands apply to them, whether they’re running a business or organizing an event.
Under Ohio’s current mass gatherings ban, people are prohibited from holding “all public and private gatherings of greater than 10 people” outside of their home or place of residence. However, the state made allowances for indoor and outdoor sporting events, entertainment venues, county fairs and other events.
Now, McCloud says that blanket mass gatherings ban will go away; instead, the state will ask that people keep their own groups below 10 people. At the same time, people still need to keep six feet away from other groups, remain seated when eating or drinking and wear face masks at all other times.
McCloud said that indoor events will remain limited at 25% capacity, because of the greater risk of spreading disease, while there are no capacity limits for outdoor events, although venues will need to follow the physical distancing requirements.
DeWine emphasized that the statewide mask mandate has not changed, however.
“Above all, common sense. Wear a mask. Social distancing,” DeWine said. “Being outside is always just so much better than being inside. Good hand-washing. And limiting gatherings of large number of people who are directly with you.”
DeWine’s announcement comes just weeks after the Ohio General Assembly overrode his veto to pass SB22, a law that allows the legislature to overturn any states of emergency and public health orders issued by the governor. Republican legislative leaders say they may vote to end DeWine’s restrictions as soon as June, when they return to session for the state budget.
However, DeWine said the new health order was not influenced by the legislature’s actions.
The governor previously stated that Ohio will drop all public health orders when the two-week infection rate drops to 50 cases per 100,000 people. But after months of rapidly dropping cases and hospitalizations, the state is seeing numbers rise again — the current rate stands at 167 cases per 100,000 people — in part due to surges in Michigan and northern Ohio.
Vanderhoff said that Ohio remains “in the thick of things with COVID-19,” with the positivity rate above 4% and rising numbers of variants in the state. At the same time, he touted that 32% of the state’s population — or 3.7 million people — have gotten at least one shot of the vaccine.
“The message with these revised orders, therefore, is clear: Simple steps can save lives and put this pandemic behind us,” Vanderhoff says.