Governor Removes Mask Restriction For Ohio Shoppers

COLUMBUS, OH — Gov. Mike DeWine peeled off one of the restrictions for businesses planning to reopen in Ohio on Tuesday. The governor said customers at retail shops will no longer have to wear a mask to visit a store, despite the continued threat of the new coronavirus.

"I've heard you and we're not going to mandate this," DeWine said. "We are going to leave this up to the individual customer. But we strongly recommend you wear a mask."

DeWine said he was bombarded by messages from Ohioans who found the mask requirement for shoppers "offensive." He said he had to balance that outrage with a need to protect employees at stores, and so he is still strongly recommending shoppers don masks.

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DeWine said Tuesday he would trust Ohioans to follow health and safety protocols, including suggestions to wear masks. He said he would trust Ohioans to protect each other.

"The reason we initially did mandate masks is because I've heard from business employees who are scared — from family members who are scared for their loved ones who are working. Anyone could be carrying COVID-19 and not know it - we did the original order to protect these employees," DeWine said before urging Ohioans to protect others.

Employees will still be mandated to wear masks, though there will be exemptions for some businesses.

Individual Decision

DeWine said each individual Ohioan will need to assess the risks posed to them before venturing outdoors and into public spaces. He emphasized that individual action was more important than government mandates.

"It has been your individual actions - things you have not done - that got us here today. Your individual actions are so much more important than any order the government can issue. So, as we try to get back to work, it's so important that you continue to be careful," DeWine said.

The governor said he would continue to wear a mask in public and has instructed his family to do the same.

The Future of Ohio Restaurants, Salons

Ohio political leaders are being called together to determine how restaurants and barbershops can safely reopen in the future. DeWine said he has asked members of the General Assembly to identify constituents who own impacted businesses.

"I talked with the Speaker Householder, Senate President [Larry] Obhof, House Minority Leader [Emilia Strong] Sykes, and Senate Minority Leader [Kenny]Yuko to help identify people who work in these fields every day — Ohioans who may not be part of a bigger chain, but may be barbers or local diner owners," DeWine said.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said the state's leadership wants to have a plan in place for these still closed businesses. When the decision to reopen is given, Husted said, those businesses should know exactly what they are going to do.

Tuesday's Numbers

Ohio saw a spike in new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to the Ohio Department of Health. There were 444 cases confirmed between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon. On Monday, there were 362 new cases.

There were also 46 new deaths related to COVID-19, the state health department announced Tuesday. On Monday, there were 25 new COVID-19 deaths.

Since the start of the outbreak, there have been 16,769 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio, and 799 deaths related to the virus.

More reading:

• What Isn't Reopening In Ohio In Coming Weeks
• Ohio Leaders Unveil Plan To Reopen Economy, Plan Starts May 1