DeWine announces open dates for day care, outdoor businesses

Published 1:58 am Saturday, May 16, 2020

COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced a reopening date of May 31 for day care centers in Ohio.

“Our goal is to have the safest child care system in the nation,” the governor said at his daily news conference on Thursday. “One that nurtures the health and continued growth and development of our children and one that protects the health and safety of our child care workers and teachers.”

The governor also announced dates for outdoor businesses and activities.

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He said pools in the state can reopen on May 26, if they are regulated by local health departments.

This guidance does not include water parks or amusement parks and those businesses will be addressed at a future date, DeWine said.

He quoted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and said there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water play areas.

He said that proper mainenance of these facilities should inactivate the virus in water.

DeWine said horse racing can resume on May 22, if safety protocols can be met, but spectators will be prohibited. This order does not apply to casinos and race tracks.

Low-contact or non-contact sports can resume on May 26, if they can meet safety protocols, the governor said. Other high-contact sports are still being considered.

Gyms and fitness centers can reopen on May 26 if they can meet safety protocols, while campgrounds can reopen on May 21 and day camps can reopen on May 31, if they can meet safety protocols.

Protocols for all of these businesses will be listed on the state’s coronavirus website at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov.

DeWine also announced that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles will reopen for certain services on May 26, but he encouraged people to continue to use online services from the BMV as much as possible.