Ohio to impose 10 p.m. curfew starting Thursday

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced on Tuesday that the state will begin a 10 p.m. curfew in an effort to curb rising cases of the coronavirus. 

The state reported 7,079 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, bringing its cumulative case total to 312,443. A total of 5,772 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Ohio. 

DeWine said in a press conference that the goal behind the three-week curfew is to reduce the number of contacts people have by 20 percent to 25 percent. 

“The whole idea is if you can slow these contacts down, that’s going to go a long way to slow this virus down,” he said.

Retail establishments will close by 10 p.m. and people should be at home, DeWine said. The curfew, which runs until 5 a.m., will not apply to those who need to be at work, those who have an emergency or those who need medical care. 

DeWine also said that restaurants will be allowed to remain open for carry out and delivery. 

He did not specify how the curfew would be enforced. 

We are #InThisTogetherOhio. Each one of us will make a difference. If we can cut down contacts by 20-25 percent, this will make a difference. Paired with mask-wearing, this will go a long way from stopping our hospitals from being overrun.

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) November 17, 2020

Exceptions: The curfew does not apply to those who need to be at work, those who have an emergency, or those who need medical care. The curfew is not intended to stop anyone from getting groceries, a carry-out/drive-thru meal, or delivery. A lot of this is common sense.

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) November 17, 2020

DeWine also responded to critics urging people to skirt the state’s coronavirus guidance, saying that “everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but you are not entitled to your facts.” 

His comment came in response to an Ohio mayor who reportedly urged people on Facebook to ignore the state’s restrictions.

“I would say that to that mayor and to other people who are just totally irresponsible and want to be telling people that may end up hurting them or killing them. I just find that totally outrageous,” DeWine said.

Also on Tuesday, the Ohio governor joined with his counterparts from several other Midwestern states calling on citizens to follow recommended protocols as COVID-19 cases spikes across the country. 

“It’s more important now than ever that we double down on mask wearing and physical distancing to help more people get through the winter and protect the brave men and women serving on the front lines of this crisis,” DeWine says in the video.

I joined @GovAndyBeshear, @GovMikeDeWine, @GovEvers, @GovHolcomb, @GovPritzker, and @GovTimWalz to talk about protecting our families and frontliners from COVID-19 during the holidays. Mask up, we’re going to get through this together. pic.twitter.com/G1sZQGBOYp

— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) November 17, 2020

He had warned last week that Ohio’s hospitals could be overwhelmed in “just a few short weeks,” saying that facilities may not have enough staff to handle the case surge in the coming winter. 

On Monday, DeWine limited mass gatherings in the state to 10 people.