COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW)– Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine outlined plans for the beginning of May as he moves forward with reopening the state from the coronavirus shutdown.

The governor still stressed the need for social distancing and masks, as well as protecting the most vulnerable. The stay-at-home order remains in effect for gatherings of no more than 10 people.

“The businesses that are allowed to reopen, we know they can do this and create safe work environments,” Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said.

May 1: All health care procedures that do not require an overnight hospital stay can move forward, as well as dentists and veterinarians.

May 4: Manufacturing, distribution, construction and general office environments can reopen.

May 12: Consumer, retail and services can reopen.

These are the first steps. DeWine said we will monitor COVID-19 numbers before hair salons, restaurants, day cares and gyms can resume normal operations.

“We must first start down the pathway of opening things up where we thought there was less risk and a more controllable risk,” DeWine said. “As long as we aren’t seeing numbers that are terribly alarming, we’ll be able to move down that pathway. We are losing Ohioans every week, and that will probably continue, but what we don’t want to see is a big spike.”

Protocols for all businesses:

• Require face coverings for employers and clients/customers at all times.
• Conduct daily health assessments by employers and employees to determine if “fit for duty.”
• Maintain good hygiene at all times: hand washing and social distancing.
• Clean and sanitize workplaces throughout workday and at the close of business or between shifts.
• Limit capacity to meet social distancing guidelines.
  • Establish maximum capacity at 50 percent of the fire code.
  • Use appointment setting where possible to limit congestion.

The following will remain closed under the stay-at-home order:

• K-12 schools.
• Restaurants and bars.
  • Carry-out and delivery services are permitted.
• Personal appearance/beauty services.
  • Includes hair salons, day spas, nail salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, body piercing locations, tanning facilities, massage therapy locations and similar businesses.
• Older adult day care services and senior centers.
• Adult day support or vocational habilitation services in congregate settings.
• Rooming and boarding houses, and workers’ camps.
• Entertainment/recreation/gymnasium sites.
  • Includes, but is not limited to:
  • All places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, such as:
    • Laser tag facilities, roller skating rinks, ice skating rinks, arcades, indoor miniature golf facilities, bowling alleys, indoor trampoline parks, indoor water parks, arcades, and adult and child skill or chance game facilities remain closed.
    • Gambling industries.
    • Auditoriums, stadiums, arenas.
    • Movie theaters, performance theaters, and concert and music halls
    • Public recreation centers and indoor sports facilities.
    • Parades, fairs, festivals and carnivals.
    • Amusement parks, theme parks, outdoor water parks, children’s play centers, playgrounds and funplexes. 
    • Aquariums, zoos, museums, historical sites and similar institutions.
    • Country clubs and social clubs.
  • Spectator sports, recreational sports tournaments and organized recreational sports leagues.
  • Health clubs, fitness centers, workout facilities, gyms and yoga studios.
  • Swimming pools, whether public or private, except swimming pools for single households.
  • Residential and day camps.
  • Campgrounds, including recreational camps and recreational vehicle (RV) parks.
    • Excludes people living in campground RVs with no other viable place of residence.
    • Excludes people living in cabins, mobile homes, or other fixed structures that are meant for single families and where preexisting residential activity already has been established. (E.g., for people who have part-time preestablished residences at campgrounds for the summer months.)