New 'Stay Safe Ohio' Protocols Issued Amid COVID-19 Surge

COLUMBUS, OH — New COVID-19 safety protocols will be issued Thursday in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine announced. The state's curfew will also be extended through early January 2021.

Called "Stay Safe Ohio," the protocols will remain in place for 21 days. The protocols were designed by medical officials from around Ohio, the governor said.

"We can protect each other. You and your families deserve to have some normalcy in your lives, and there are things that each one of us can do to help all of us live safely with the virus," DeWine said during a news conference on Thursday.

Here are the new protocols:

• Stay home — Ohioans should only leave home for work, food and school.
• Wear your mask — Any time you are around someone who does not live with you, a mask should be worn. If a loved one has COVID-19, you should wear a mask around them.
• Keep interactions short and stay apart
• Wash your hands — Use soap and water and wash your hands for 20 seconds and then rinse them clean. Wash your hands after any excursion to a public place, before preparing food, after touching an animal, or after touching something dirty.
• Work from home
• Celebrate safe, celebrate small
• Don't eat or drink with anyone outside of your home
• Limit travel
• Keep weddings and funerals safe — Postpone these events, if possible, or use a virtual forum instead of gathering in person.
• Enjoy safe holiday activities — Visit drive-thru light displays with members of your home, keep gatherings to close or immediate family, and utilize virtual forums for bigger celebrations.

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The Curfew

The curfew will be in place from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. DeWine urged Ohioans to not gather in large numbers to watch sporting events.

However, DeWine did grant curfew exceptions to late-night games like the Cleveland Browns upcoming contest against the Baltimore Ravens. The governor said fans gathering at stadiums isn't spreading the virus, but intimate watch parties are. He encouraged Ohio sports fans to watch events in their own household.

The curfew will remain in place until at least Jan. 2, 2021.

21 Days

The next three weeks will be crucial in Ohio's battle against COVID-19, DeWine said. With the holiday season bearing down, and Ohio experiencing its biggest virus surge, the governor believes the next 21 days will determine how badly Ohio's hospitals will be hit.

"We have an obligation to keep the pandemic from spreading, to keep our family, our friends, and ourselves safe," he said. "I get it. None of this is easy. It's hard on everyone."

He added that everyone longs for a return to normal, but all holiday celebrations must be done safely.

On Thursday, Ohio confirmed the fourth-most new COVID-19 cases in a single day since the pandemic began. Nearly all of Ohio's COVID-19 metrics were up versus their rolling daily average.

Five of Ohio's eight regions are crowded with COVID-19 patients, according to Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the chief medical officer for the Ohio Department of Health.

"This points to just how serious the impact of the virus is on our hospitals at this time," Vanderhoff said.

Here are all of Thursday's numbers:

• New cases: 11,738
• New deaths: 111
• New hospitalizations: 452
• New ICU admissions: 31

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