Ohio’s largest city to require indoor masks

Mdemands are coming back in Ohio’s largest city as Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced a new term for interior spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

Ginther said the rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 in the city is forcing the municipal government to take action. He said he would issue a decree requiring masks in all interior spaces from Friday.

“Unfortunately, far too many people are not vaccinated. Without a sufficiently high vaccination rate, it continues to linger and evolve. New cases on the rise. Hospitalizations are on the rise and the pressure on our health and public health professionals has reached a breaking point, ”Ginther said Wednesday. “It’s not about shutting down and giving up. It’s about keeping Columbus safe and open for business. “

The order will apply to schools, libraries, gymnasiums, restaurants and shops.

The suburbs of Columbus, Whitehall and Bexley, also announced Wednesday that they will issue executive orders requiring masks in interior spaces on Friday. Other cities in the state, large and small, have issued similar ordinances in recent weeks.

The General Assembly restricted terms statewide with the passage of Senate Bill 22, which limited the governor, the Ohio Department of Health, and local health departments to issuing new prescriptions.

City councils, however, still have the power to issue warrants, and Ginther said Wednesday he plans to work with the council to enact Columbus’s warrant by ordinance.

The city’s mandate comes as Ohio’s new number of COVID-19 cases hit nearly 7,000 on Wednesday, the highest number since late January. Hospitalizations have reached 457, but there have been no deaths in the past 24 hours and 18 in the past 21 days.

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Key words: States, News, Ohio, Coronavirus

Original author: JD Davidson, The Central Square

Original location: Ohio’s largest city to require indoor masks