Governor Mike DeWine reversed himself this afternoon at his daily COVID 19 briefing just 24 hours after declaring face masks mandatory for shoppers. The governor now says masks will be “strongly recommended” for shoppers in retail stores, but not mandatory. But, he said wearing masks prevents others from potentially catching the virus. “In the last 24 hours, it is clear the mandatory test requirement for people who are shopping, going into retail businesses, is offensive to some of our fellow Ohioans,” DeWine said.
The governor did however say late in the briefing employers and businesses could voluntarily decide to require all employees, visitors and customers to wear masks. “I think it will be fairly standard in the workplace.”
The Tuesday statewide virus numbers were above Monday’s figures of 362 additional cases and 25 deaths. Hospitalizations (108) and intensive-care unit admissions (26) also were above the most-recent five-day averages.
As a reminder here are the expected guidelines for reopening the state:
Friday:Elective medical procedures and surgeries not requiring overnight stays, dental offices and veterinary clinics.
Monday:General offices, distribution centers, manufacturers and construction companies. Work-at-home remains mandatory for employees who can perform their jobs off site.
May 12:Retail stores and consumer and service businesses. Hours must be set aside for at-risk groups (such as elderly) and appointments should be scheduled when possible.
Closer to home, the Lucas County Health Department released links for reopening the county and the daily case/death totals. That information is contained in the press release below.
The business guidance documents discussed during the briefing with the Greater Toledo Chamber of Commerce , the City of Toledo, Lucas County Health Department can be found below.
Link to COVID-19 information: https://www.lucascountyhealth.com/coronavirusupdates/
Link to business guidance document: Lucas-County-Open-for-Business-Guidance.pdf
The COVID-19 numbers for Lucas County for today, April 28, are as follows:
• 1190 total cases o 1151 confirmed cases o 39 probable cases
• 100 deaths o 92 confirmed deaths o 8 probable deaths
• 493 male cases • 697 female cases
• The ages range from 3 to 101
The deaths reported today represent one male in his 20’s, one male in his 60’s, one male in his 80’s, one male in his 90’s, one female in her 50’s, three females in their 60’s, five females in their 80’s and two females in their 90’s.
Attached please find a release from Walmart regarding the free community testing site at Metroparks Hawkins Farmhouse, 5435 Bancroft Street in Toledo. The site opens Thursday, April 30. Residents must be symptomatic and must have an appointment.
The link to seek an appointment is: www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com