Ohio Schools Ordered Closed To Lessen Spread Of Coronavirus

Governor DeWine has ordered all K-12 schools in Ohio to close as a precaution to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Schools will close on Monday and remain closed for three weeks, and then the situation will be reviewed.

The governor said, from what they can tell based on what has happened elsewhere, unless a child has another medical problem, the risk of death from coronavirus for a child is not very high, but kids are potential carriers.

During a news conference on Thursday it was announced Ohio has a fifth confirmed case of coronavirus, in Trumbull County in northeast Ohio.

Also during the news conference on Thursday, the director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, signed an order that bans mass gatherings of 100 or more people.

The order prohibiting mass gatherings includes auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, large conference rooms, meeting halls, cafeterias, or any other confined indoor or outdoor space.

It also includes parades, fairs, and festivals.

It does not apply to typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories, or retail or grocery stores where large groups of people are present but it is unusual for them to be within an arm’s length of one another.

Officials also said the primary election will still be held on Tuesday, as it’s not considered a mass gathering.

“We are in this together, whether we like it or not. We all have to take care of each other as we move forward. We are going to get through this, and we’re trying to get through it without losing too many of us,” DeWine said.

Get more advice on coronavirus here from the Ohio Department of Health.