DAYTON — UPDATE @ 3:10 p.m.:
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced the state’s stay at home order was extended until May 1. Along with the extended order were new restrictions on social distancing including enforcement for essential businesses remaining open.
A dispute resolution panel has been established that will judge and make decisions about businesses that have remained open as essential businesses.
Dispute resolution: We will appoint a board to evaluate and render guidance in situations where two local health departments have come to a different conclusion on what is or is not essential business.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) April 2, 2020
Retail stores have been asked to establish a number of the maximum number of people allowed in the store at one time. That number will need to be posted and enforced.
Overcrowded stores: The new order requires retail businesses to establish the number of people who should be in the business at one time. We're not telling them the number b/c businesses are all different. But businesses must determine their number and post it.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) April 2, 2020
Anyone traveling to Ohio, or has traveled outside of Ohio, will be required to be quarantined for 14 days. This order is not in effect for people working on state borders.
The new order will go into effect Monday when the existing order expires.
FIRST REPORT
Businesses, such as area Kroger stores, are deemed essential during the continuing statewide stay-at-home and social distancing orders triggered by the coronavirus pandemic because consumers can get food and basic goods.
The same can be said for some other businesses, including hardware and home stores.
But how the stay-at-home and social distancing orders are being enforced -- or not enforced -- has raised concerns in Columbus and in Montgomery County.
Wednesday, at the Statehouse and in Dayton, public officials warned that some people are skirting the rules.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, said, “if the customers in the stores are not following the rules, it makes it very tough” on businesses trying to enforce the rules.
Gov. Mike DeWine suggested that even tougher restrictions on the number of people allowed inside a store could be announced today.
Jeff Cooper, health commissioner, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, said he would take Husted’s comment one step further by noting it’s the responsibility of the business to make sure the social distancing order is being followed, including keeping down the number of people allowed in a store at any time.
Today, Cooper said, inspectors from his office will begin visiting the estimated 360 Dayton and Montgomery businesses that have been hit with complaints questioning whether they are an essential business according to the state’s definition, whether they are enforcing the social distance rule or enforcing the stay-at-home rule for workers.
Inspectors will have with them cease-and-desist letters for businesses not in compliance, Cooper said. They’ll also have law enforcement with them if needed, he said.
Mayor Nan Whaley said she has fielded reports that entire families are visiting stores just to get out of the house and they aren’t following the social distance mandate.
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