At his afternoon press conference Governor Mike DeWine expressed his frustration over having to extend his stay at home order “I’m frustrated, too. No one in Ohio is not frustrated,” DeWine said of the havoc the virus and stay-at-home order have inserted into everyday life. “This is not how we want to live. Our goal is that we make it ... I’m sorry. I wish it wasn’t like this.” While extending the date DeWine also said it may be even longer than that.
According to Michael Oglesbee, Dir of OSU's Infectious Diseases Institute there could be up to 2,400 deaths this month alone and expects a surge to hit in the second or third week of April. “You are making financial sacrifices, you are making personal sacrifices, our lives have changed ... What you have done has saved lives,” DeWine told Ohioans.
DeWine said the extended order requires stores, including groceries, to post a limit of people to be admitted at any one time to ensure at least six-foot social distancing. Campgrounds also are being ordered closed under the new order, but those who live in a recreational vehicle at a campground can remain. State parks are not being closed, but social distancing must be practiced.
The order also requires public swimming pools and pools at private clubs or housing complexes to be closed. It does not apply to private residential pools. Day camps for children were ordered closed, and organized youth and adult sports were prohibited.
The Ohio Department of Health reported a daily increase of 355 cases of coronavirus and another 16 deaths -- an increase of 25% -- from the virus on Thursday.
The Trump administration is expected to announce as soon as Thursday that all Americans should wear cloth masks or other face coverings if they go out in public, based on a forthcoming recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control