OHIO — Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio's state of emergency will come to an end Friday. 

On the day Ohio officials confirmed the state's first three cases — March 9, 2020 — DeWine signed the state of emergency declaration, freeing up resources for state agencies during the pandemic. 

As Ohio's COVID-19 cases decline and vaccinations increase, DeWine said on Thursday he feels it's time for the state of emergency to come to an end, as it's not needed. 

"We have come to the conclusion that it really does not impact what we need to do at this point in the pandemic," DeWine said. "It really is very narrow as far as what it does."

DeWine said it helped the state bypass a lot of rules for procurement and purchasing to help get resources quicker, such as protective equipment. But he warned that it doesn't mean Ohio's fight with COVID-19 is over. 

“Just a note to state the obvious: We are still losing people every single day to COVID," he said Thursday. "We have variants that are coming into the state. Things will continue to change."

DeWine also announced the state will be lifting COVID-19 visitation policies in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities Friday. That means under state policies, individuals no longer have to schedule a visit or are restricted to having only two people in the facility at a time to see a loved one. 

"Ohio nursing homes will of course need to follow federal guidelines. Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities will continue to follow CDC guidance," DeWine said. 

He added nursing homes can also implement their own policies and residents should check ahead of visiting. 

“We are now at the point the state needs to stand back in regard to visitation," DeWine said. "We really encourage nursing homes to allow for as much visitation as possible.”

On Wednesday, the state reported 381 new cases of COVID-19, which is below the 21-day average of 396. There were 52 hospitalizations, and a total of 20,122 Ohioans have died since the start of pandemic. 

"This game is not over. We are ahead with the vaccine, now but we need to drive it to the ground. The only way we do that is with the vaccine," DeWine said. 

A little more than 46% of Ohioans have received the first dose of the vaccine, whereas 42.5% of residents are completely vaccinated.