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CLEVELAND (WJW)– State officials have laid out plans to reopen more than 90 percent of Ohio’s economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton started issuing orders in March to limit gatherings of people to slow the spread of COVID-19. The hope was to flatten the curve, while giving hospitals more time to prepare for an increase in patients and to acquire valuable personal protective equipment.

Now, the governor is gradually reopening the state under his Responsible RestartOhio strategy. It involves groups of business owners creating industry-specific guidelines for employee and customer safety.

Here’s a look at what is permitted to open and when:

May 15

Restaurants and bars (Outdoor service): Mandates include posting maximum dining area capacity; daily cleaning of the entire establishment; cleaning high-touch service areas every two hours; and providing hand washing and sanitizing products in common areas. All employees are required to wear face coverings with exceptions. (Click here for full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for restaurants and bars)

Personal services: Mandates include employees wearing gloves and disposing of them in between tasks; disposing of single-use materials between clients; maintaining accurate appointment records for contact tracing; specifying hours for at-risk populations; placing hand sanitizer in high-contact locations; staggering entry of customers; and only allowing clients into the establishment. All employees are required to wear face coverings with exceptions. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for personal services)

  • Hair salons
  • Barbershops
  • Day spas
  • Nail salons
  • Tanning salons
  • Tattoo and body piercing parlors (Oral and nose piercings are prohibited at this time)

Sectors licensed by the state medical board: Mandates include employees must wear a gown, apron or lab coat if the procedure will allow the client’s body to contact the employee’s clothing; disposing of single-use materials between clients; no walk-in clients; and maintaining accurate appointment records for contact tracing. All employees are required to wear face coverings with exceptions. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for board-licensed sectors)

  • Massage therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Cosmetic therapy

May 21

Restaurants and bars (Indoor service): Mandates include posting maximum dining area capacity; daily cleaning of the entire establishment; cleaning high-touch services areas every two hours; and providing hand washing and sanitizing products in common areas. All employees are required to wear face coverings with exceptions. Open congregate areas like billiards, arcade games and dancing shall remain closed. (Click here for full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for restaurants and bars)

Campgrounds: Mandates include posting information ground campgrounds to remind campers of steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19; cleaning and sanitizing public areas and restrooms in the morning, evening and peak usage times; and restrooms, shower houses and laundry facilities should limit the number of users at any one time based on facility size. Non-essential buildings where people congregate, including pavilions, pools, recreation centers, gyms, playgrounds, game rooms, and basketball and volleyball courts should remain closed. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for campgrounds)

May 22

Horse racing: No spectators permitted. Does not apply to casinos and racinos. Specific protocols have not been released.

May 26

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles: Please continue to utilize the online services, including plate replacement, address changes and license reinstatement fees. Extensions for licenses and registrations remain in effect. (Click here for Ohio BMV online services)

Gyms and fitness centers: Mandates include limiting capacity to allow for 6 feet between members, setting up social distancing space around equipment like treadmills or disabling machines in between, removing excess seating throughout the facility, reducing class size, establishing log-in procedures for potential contact tracing, marking every other locker for non-use, and removing or disabling water fountains. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for gyms)

Local and public swimming pools, and aquatic centers: Does not apply to water parks. Mandates include disabling every other locker for non-use, if towels are provided they need to be stored in covered and sanitized containers, employees handling towels must wear gloves and face coverings, installing physical barriers and signs to ensure staff, patrons and swimmers stay at least 6 feet from those they don’t live with in and out of the water, discouraging items like goggles, nose clips and snorkels, closing non-essential areas where people may congregate, and food service must be run in accordance with orders for restaurants and bars. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for pools)

Non-contact and limited contact sports:

May 31

Day cares: Mandates include no more than six infants and toddlers in a room, and no more than nine preschool and school-aged children in a room; performing daily symptoms assessments on employees; providers must check the temperatures of all staff, children and adults upon arrival, and anyone with a fever of 100 degrees or high cannot enter; providers must follow a rigorous hand-washing protocol; and providers must ensure children washing their hands prior to departure. Childcare workers should wearing face coverings unless it is unsafe for them to do so. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for childcare facilities)

Day camps:

Mandates including operating under a reduced staff-to-child ratio with one staff member per nine school-age children with no more than nine in the room, employees must perform daily symptom assessments, and staffers must check the temperature for all staff, child and adult upon arrival, and anyone with a fever of 100 degrees or higher cannot enter. (Click here for a full list of mandatory and best practice protocols for youth day camps)

Previously opened:

Advisory groups without reopening dates:

  • Casinos and racinos
  • Travel and tourism
  • Fairs
  • Large venues
  • Sports leagues (Contact sports including soccer, basketball, hockey, field hockey and lacrosse)

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