Governor Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) issued a travel advisory for nine states to try to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Buckeye state.
The notice applies to people entering Ohio from states reporting positive COVID-19 test rates of 15 percent or more. It applies to both residents and people visiting the state of Buckeye.
The states in the notice are Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, and Texas. The notice is not a mandate, but simply a recommendation.
“I know this will be difficult and it is a sacrifice, especially since the summer holidays are in full effect, but when we are more likely to be exposed, we must take precautions to limit the exposure of others,” DeWine said Wednesday.
Ohio’s positive test rate is currently around 6.2 percent.
DeWine also issued a mandate for people to wear face masks indoors that are not a residence, outdoors where six feet of social distance is not feasible, and when they queue for public transportation services. That order will take effect at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The movements come amid a worrying increase in coronavirus cases in Ohio, which had previously been credited with its initial response to the pandemic.
“We are at the point where we could become Florida,” DeWine said Sunday. “Where you look at our numbers today versus where Florida was a month ago, we have very similar numbers. So we are very, very concerned. “
“While we did a great job from the start in Ohio, we are now headed in the wrong direction and, frankly, I am very, very concerned about that,” he added. “So we are going to go ahead with more requests from us this week.”
Ohio currently has 78,742 coronavirus cases, according to state data. More than 3,200 people have died in the state.
.
