Ohio Sets Reopening Date For Restaurants, Salons

COLUMBUS, OH — Salons and barbershops will be able to reopen on May 15, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday. Restaurants and bars will be allowed to host outdoor dining on May 15 and indoor dining on May 21.

"For the last week or so, we've talked about how we need to do two things at once: bring back the economy and stay safe. We are Ohioans. We can do it. How we open up is so very, very important. The 'how' is an essential part of how successful we're going to be," DeWine said.

New health and safety protocols will be put in place for diners and staffers. Spacing will be implemented between tables, most staff will be asked to wear masks and restaurants will determine how many customers can be inside an establishment at one time.

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The governor urged Ohioans to follow health and safety protocols as the economy returns in Ohio.

"As we reopen the economy, the risk will go up," DeWine said. Currently, when one Ohioan is infected, they are likely to spread it to only one other person. "We can expect that as we open up this economy, those numbers will go higher."

The state's testing capacity is increasing, DeWine said, but it is not where officials want it to be.

When consumer retail reopens on May 12, approximately 89 percent of Ohio's private economy will have reopened, DeWine said.

Thursday's Numbers

There were 555 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed on Thursday in Ohio. Since the start of the outbreak there have 22,131 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Ohio, the state health department announced.

Over the past 24 hours, the state also confirmed 46 new COVID-19-related deaths. In Ohio, at least 1,271 people have died due to complications caused by the virus.

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