COLUMBUS, Ohio — This afternoon in Columbus, Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton are holding a briefing with the latest on the state's response to coronavirus.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there are now 16,769 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in the state. 799 people have died and 3,340 are hospitalized.
After rolling out his plan to open the state's economy on Monday, DeWine opened his briefing Tuesday by announcing that there will no longer be a requirement for wearing face coverings.
"For retail customers, this is not going to be mandated," DeWine said. "It is best practices... I've heard you and we're not going to mandate this. We're going to leave it up to the individual customer." DeWine reiterated that wearing masks remains a "strong recommendation."
Starting on Friday, all health procedures that do not require an overnight hospital stay can resume. Dentists and veterinarians can also begin full steam ahead on May 1.
On May 4, manufacturing, distribution, and construction will be opened up. Also, general office environments are being allowed to reopen. However, DeWine says the state still wants people to work from home as much as possible.
Consumer and retail stores can reopen on May 12.
On Tuesday, DeWine also mentioned that he is forming an advisory panel to guide restaurant, barbershop and salon reopenings in the state of Ohio.
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