On April 2, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued an Amended Stay at Home Order (“Amended Order”). The Amended Order provides additional guidelines and restrictions to the original Stay at Home Order issued on March 22, 2020.
The Amended Order will go into effect at 11:59 PM on April 6, 2020 (when the March 22 Order was set to expire) and remain in effect until May 1, 2020.
Importantly, all of the provisions of the March 22 Stay at Home Order remain in effect, including that all non-essential businesses and operations in Ohio must cease all activities, except “Minimum Basic Operations.” Certain “Essential Businesses and Operations” are exempt from the Order and remain open. However, the Amended Order adds the following new provisions that are worth noting:
- The Amended Order Requires Stores Selling Groceries and Medicines to Implement Additional Safety Measures to Maintain a Six-Foot Distance Between Customers.
- Stores that sell groceries and medicine are now required to determine and limit the number of customers allowed in the store to the maximum number of individuals who may be in the store at the same time while maintaining a six-foot distance from one another.
- The maximum capacity number must be prominently displayed at every entrance to the store.
- Every store must ensure that items such as baskets and shopping carts are cleaned between customers.
- If a line is formed inside or outside the store, individuals in line who do not reside in the same household must maintain a six-foot distance from one another.
2. The Amended Order Adds Restrictions to Prohibited and Permitted Travel, Including Self-Quarantine for Persons Entering Ohio from Out of State.
- Travel into and out of the State of Ohio is still allowed to maintain Essential Businesses and Operations and Minimum Basic Operations. However, the amended order now instructs persons entering Ohio with the intent to remain in the state to self-quarantine for fourteen days.
3. The Amended Order Requires Swimming Pools and Campgrounds to Close.
- Public and private swimming pools are ordered to close, but there is an exception for pools for single households.
- Campgrounds are ordered to close. Only persons residing in recreational vehicles (“RVs”), mobile homes, cabins, or other fixed structures on a campground that are designed for a single family may remain if they do not have any other viable place of residence. Such individuals must comply with all applicable guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health regarding social distancing.
Additional aspects of the Amended Order still apply to individuals. Those features include that outdoor activities such as walking, running, hiking, biking, etc. are still allowed, but recreational sport activities and residential and day camps must be cancelled. This Memorandum is meant for employers and employees. All are encouraged to review the Amended Order in its entirety. Additional information on the Order can be found at the Ohio Department of Health website.