Ohio Governor Orders Mandatory Mask Wearing In Counties With High Spread Of Coronavirus
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday issued a mandatory mask order for seven counties in his state. Residents will be required to wear a mask or face covering in any indoor building that is not a private home.
The following counties, designated “Red Alert Level 3,” will be impacted by the order: Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Montgomery and Trumbull. “Red Alert Level 3” indicates that these counties have “very high exposure and spread” of COVID-19.
The counties will stay under the order if their risk level is raised to “Purple Alert Level 4,” which is defined as “severe exposure and spread” of the virus. If the situation in these counties improves to a Level 2 risk alert, the mask mandate will be lifted.
The order will take effect at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Residents outside must also wear a mask if they are not able to maintain social distancing of at least six feet from individuals who are not members of the same household. Masks will also be required to use public transportation or ridesharing services.
Residents under the age of ten are not required to wear a mask. Minors who can not safely wear the face covering are also exempt from the rule.
It’s unclear how this new mandate would be enforced, but outspoken Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, a pro-Trump Republican, has said he is against the order.
“I’m not going to be the mask police,” Jones said on Tuesday. “I’ve got a lot of important things to do, and being the mask police is not one of them.”
DeWine was one of the first governors earlier this year to issue a shutdown order for his state to prevent the spread of the virus. DeWine’s approval ratings surged due to his swift response, but the lockdown orders also resulted in backlash against the governor from members of his own party.
As of Tuesday at 5:10 p.m. ET, there are 55,150 confirmed cases of the virus in the state, according to the Ohio Department of Health, with the death toll at 2,718.
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