COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio is once again in the thick of a massive spike in COVID cases.

As the number of sick roll in by the thousands daily, to curtail the crisis, we’re going back to the basics.

“Our efforts have been really intensified in the last week in regard to getting our fellow Ohioans to wear these masks,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

What You Need To Know


  • DeWine says masks do not infringe on our freedom

  • Republican Rep. Nino Vitale introduced a bill to ban mandatory mask orders without the OK from the legislature

  • With Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther's recent mandatory mask order for the city,  dissenting Statehouse lawmakers find themselves under new jurisdictional rules

  • DeWine says Ohioans control our destiny

Cities across Ohio are implementing mandatory masks, with the hope of solving two problems at once: cutting cases and reinvigorating our atrophied economy.

“We cannot move this economy forward unless we slow this virus down,” DeWine said.

But at the Statehouse, face masks are carving a deep divide.

For Representative Nino Vitale (R-Urbana), if the masks are on, the gloves are off.

“I personally cannot stand any elitist political attitude that states that people should be required to do something while the elite political class is not required to follow the same laws. I reject that,” he said.

That’s why he introduced a bill to ban mandatory mask orders without the OK from the legislature.  

Speaking to the biill, he said, “where there is risk, there MUST be choice, not mandates. And even beyond the negative health aspects of masks, the government should be protecting your rights, not telling you to shut up and do what we are told.’”

With Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther's recent mandatory mask order for the city, these dissenting Statehouse lawmakers find themselves under new jurisdictional rules.

When asked if Mayor Ginther's mask mandate would mean people in the Riffe Center or the Statehouse should be following those orders, DeWine replied, "I would certainly hope, first of all, anyone who works for me will follow them. I’m not gonna try and play lawyer up here because I have not done the research. But I certainly hope everyone will follow those orders. They are not unreasonable orders. They are very very very reasonable. My understanding is that it applies whenever someone walks in a building, and they should follow that.”

While it is unclear if these rules will be followed by the anti-maskers, Governor DeWine says it’s not an infringement on freedom — it’s the exact opposite.

“It gives us more freedom. It gives us the ability to go around. It’s just the right thing to do, we’re not letting up. We’re increasing and it’s important. Ohioans, we control this. We control our destiny.”