Masks Made Mandatory Statewide In Ohio

COLUMBUS, OH — A statewide mask mandate will be implemented in Ohio on Thursday at 6 p.m.

"Wearing a mask makes a huge, huge difference," Gov. Mike DeWine announced. He argued that if everyone donned a mask, the rate of COVID-19's spread through Ohio will drop.

The rate of COVID-19 spread in Ohio's "red" counties, where masks are already mandatory, has begun to slow slightly, DeWine announced Wednesday.

DeWine was careful to note that spread has not plateaued in those areas, but slowed slightly. The governor said he expects yellow and orange counties to see higher rates of spread and could be upgraded to red classification this week.

The mask mandate will not apply to infants, people actively playing sports or working out, anyone with a debilitating health condition, anyone involved with public safety, anyone actively eating or drinking and anyone officiating a religious service.

Masks will otherwise be mandatory in all public space.

"What we do now and in the next several weeks will determine what our fall looks like," DeWine said. "We all want to see kids back in school, we want to see sports — to do that it's very important that all Ohioans wear a mask."

DeWine also issued a travel advisory for anyone who leaves the state to visit any state with a 15 percent positivity rate for COVID-19 tests and returns or visitors coming into Ohio. Those travelers will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Here are all of Wednesday's COVID-19 numbers for Ohio:

• New cases: 1,527
• New deaths: 16
• New hospitalizations: 128
• New ICU admissions: 19