'Hope Masks Aren't Too Little, Too Late': Solon Politician

SOLON, OH — On Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine instituted a mandatory mask policy in seven Ohio counties. The move was met with skepticism from many politicians and Ohioans, including a representative from Solon.

"I only hope that we aren’t acting too late to fight the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Ohio, and should have had a statewide mandate for both workers and customers and the general public from the very beginning of the reopening of the state,” said State Rep. Phil Robinson, whose district includes Solon.

DeWine initially proposed a statewide mask mandate in late April. After his announcement was met with scorn from Republicans, the governor rolled back the mandate and simply "urged" Ohioans to wear masks.

Over the past two weeks, Ohio has seen a surge of new COVID-19 cases. In July alone, there have been nearly 6,000 new cases confirmed. To stymie the spread of the virus, DeWine ordered Ohio's seven hardest-hit counties to mandate masks in public.

The seven impacted counties are Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Montgomery and Trumbull. Those seven counties are classified as "red," or Level 3, meaning there is severe spread of COVID-19 in the area.

In those seven counties, residents and visitors will need to wear masks inside any public businesses or spaces, offices, on public transportation or ride-sharing services and outside (if distancing is impossible). The order does not apply to children 10 and under.

“When I am outside of my home, I always wear a mask, along with my wife and two small children. Wearing a mask greatly cuts down on you potentially spreading COVID-19 to others if you have it. You could have the virus and not show any symptoms for up to 14 days but can still be contagious in those two weeks. Wearing a mask is a sign of common courtesy and consideration of other’s health and safety during the pandemic. If we all wear masks, we all help and protect each other,” said Robinson.

The order officially goes into effect at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Other state Democrats, like state Rep. Juanita Brent, criticized DeWine for not instituting a statewide mask mandate. State Republicans, like state Rep. Nino Vitale, have urged Ohioans to stop getting tested for COVID-19, WKYC reported, and have introduced bills to stop mandatory mask policies.