COLMBUS, Ohio — Beginning 6 p.m. Thursday, all Ohioans will be required to mask up.
DeWine announced a statewide mask order at his press briefing Wednesday afternoon, which mandates that masks be worn:
- At an indoor location that's not a residence
- Outdoors, when unable to keep 6 ft. social distance from those not in your household
- When waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation — taxi, car service, or private rideshare
"Wearing masks will make a difference," DeWine said in a tweet. "It will determine what our fall looks like. We want kids to go back to school, we want to see sports -- to do that it's very important that all Ohioans wear a mask."
DeWine said the order only requires those who are ten years old or older to wear a mask and that certain individuals are excluded:
- Those with a medical condition or a disability or those communicating with someone with a disability
- Those who are actively exercising or playing sports
- Those who are officiants at religious services
- Those who are actively involved in public safety
- Those who are actively eating or drinking
Recently, DeWine hinted at the possibility of a statewide mandate at some point. During an interview on Sunday's Meet the Press, he said, "We’re going the wrong way. We’re at a crucial time. And so, this week you may see a lot more counties under that mask requirement, so we certainly would not rule out going statewide. We’re certainly looking at that, but there’s a lot of things going on."