On the heels of mask mandates in various cities throughout Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine has announced that seven Ohio counties will be under a new mask mandate, including Franklin County.
All of the counties are classified at Level 3 under the state’s Public Health Advisory Alert System. In addition to Franklin County, Hamilton, Butler, Montgomery, Huron, Cuyahoga, and Trumball counties are also at Level 3 and will be under mask mandates.
To reach Level 3, all of the counties triggered 4-5 of the following indicators:
- New cases per capita
- Sustained increase in new cases
- Proportion of cases that are not congregated cases
- Sustained increase in emergency room visits
- Sustained increase in outpatient visits
- Sustained increase in new COVID-19 hospital admissions
- Intensive care unit bed occupancy
The mandate will go into effect at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, and will require people 10 years and older to wear a mask:
- When they are in any indoor location that is not a residence
- When they are outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not members of their household
- When they are waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation, a taxi, a private care service, or a ride-sharing vehicle
The Level 3 rating means that the risk of exposure and spread in Franklin County is very high and residents are asked to limit activities as much as possible.
Today, I am announcing that @OHDeptofHealth will issue an order, effective 6:00 pm tomorrow, that will mandate wearing of face coverings in public in all counties that are designated Red Level 3 Public Health Emergency Alert. pic.twitter.com/cqbMqmajJ2
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 7, 2020
The orders will stay in place as long the county is in a Level 3. The rankings will be updated each Thursday and any counties that increase to Level 3 will be added to the face-covering mandate automatically. Failure to wear a mask in Level 3 and Level 4 counties could result in a misdemeanor charge by law enforcement.
There are exceptions to wearing a mask for people who’s doctor advises against it, if wearing a mask is prohibited by federal regulation, or if you’re communicating with the hearing impaired.
If you’re looking for more info about wearing masks in Columbus, please click here.
