Ohio Man Who Criticized Shutdown Measures During Pandemic Dies From Coronavirus

An Ohio man, who was a vocal critic online of shutdown and quarantine measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, died on April 15 after contracting the virus.

John W. McDaniel, 60, died at the Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, after a near-month-long battle against COVID-19. His obituary said he died peacefully “with his loving family by his side,” who also thanked the staff at Marion General Hospital in Marion, Ohio.

McDaniel is survived by his wife and two sons.

McDaniel's family posted the thank you note to hospital staff on a local funeral home's website and also noted that the family would "like to remind everyone to continue practicing social distancing to keep each other safe."

McDaniel had gained attention in March as a vocal critic of the shelter-in-place orders by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

McDaniel had called the pandemic a “political ploy” in a post on March 13. McDaniel added on March 15 that DeWine “doesn’t have the authority” to issue such lockdowns and urged people to continue living their lives.

McDaniel’s social media accounts have since been deleted.

After McDaniel was diagnosed with coronavirus, his family became vocal on social media to share messages contradicting McDaniel's anti-quarantine statements. His sister, Lisa McDaniel Hoppe, urged people in a post on March 30 to stay home and follow quarantine guidelines while he was in isolation and on a ventilator.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that as of Tuesday afternoon, 557 Ohioans had died from COVID-19 and 13,725 people were infected.