UPDATE 7/23/20 - Director of Ohio Department of Health Order for Facial Coverings throughout the State of Ohio
All individuals, in the State of Ohio shall wear facial coverings at all times when:
a. In any indoor location that is not a residence;
b. Outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not members of their family/household; or
c. Waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation, a taxi, car service, or a ride sharing vehicle.
This does not apply to private or rental vehicles where members of a family/household are sharing a vehicle.
The requirement to wear a facial covering does not apply when:
a. The individual is under ten years of age;
b. A medical condition including those with respiratory conditions that restrict breathing, mental health conditions, or disability contraindicates the wearing of a facial covering;
c. The individual is communicating or seeking to communicate with someone who is hearing impaired or has another disability, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
d. The individual is alone in an enclosed space, such as an office, or in lieu of an enclosed space, the individual is separated by at least six feet in all directions from all other individuals, and in either case the space is not intended for use or access by the public;
e. The individual is actively engaged in exercise in a gym or indoor facility so long as six or more feet of separation between individuals exists;
f. The individual is actively participating in athletic practice, scrimmage, or competition that is permitted under a separate Department of Health order;
g. The individual is actively engaged in a public safety capacity, including but not limited to law enforcement, firefighters or emergency medical personnel;
h. The individual is seated and actively consuming food or beverage in a restaurant or bar;
i. Facial coverings are prohibited by law or regulation;
j. Facial coverings are in violation of documented industry standards;
k. Facial coverings are in violation of a business’s documented safety policies;
l. Individual is actively participating in broadcast communications;
m. Individual is an officiant of a religious services; or
n. In an industrial or manufacturing facility, employees are separated by at least six feet in all directions, or by a barrier in a manufacturing line or work area.
o. Schools offering kindergarten through grade twelve instruction (or some portion of it) that comply with the guidelines set forth by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Health.
p. Child care centers, family child care, in-home aids, day camps, and after school programs licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) that comply with current and future guidelines set forth by ODJFS and the Ohio Department of Health.
Nothing in this order is intended to interfere with the separation of powers under the Ohio Constitution. Businesses must apply exceptions to wearing a mask equally to all persons. This Order does not apply to jails or prison facilities. This Order is not intended to supersede, supplant or preempt any order or law of a local jurisdiction that is more restrictive than this Order. For the purposes of this Order, a facial covering (mask) is any material covering an individual’s nose, mouth, and chin.
UPDATE 5/21/20 - Director of Ohio Department of Health replaces "Stay Safe" order with "Urgent Health Advisory: Ohioans Protecting Ohioans" with key social-distancing rules, including a ban on most mass gatherings and restrictions on bars and restaurants, and other industry-specific protocols remaining mandatory until further notice.
UPDATE 4/30/20 - Director of Ohio Department of Health amends "Stay Safe" Order effective 4/30/20 @ 11:59pm to extend through May 29, 2020 @ 11:59pm unless the Director of the Ohio Department of Health rescinds or modifies this order at a sooner time and date.
UPDATE 4/2/20 - Director of Ohio Department of Health amends "Stay-At-Home" Order effective 4/6/20 @ 11:59pm to extend through May 1, 2020.
ORIGINAL ANNOUNCEMENT - 3/22/20 - Director of Ohio Department of Health issues “Stay-At-Home” Order effective 3/23/20 @ 11:59pm through April 6, 2020.
As you are aware we are facing a health crisis in our city, state, and nation with an intensity which has never been seen by most living people. This is a situation which we must take very seriously and need to follow the professionals who are guiding the protocol in staying safe in living through this virus. We have been planning the spin up of our critical city services for many months, and have put those plans into place within the past weeks.
These Essential City of Wooster Services are comprised of:
• Wooster Community Hospital (WCH)
• Police, Fire, EMS and Dispatch services (PD, FD, EMS, Dist)
• Utility services of Water, Sewer, and the pipeline’s that support these. (Utility)
• Maintenance keeping up our infrastructure (roads, lights, sidewalks, parks) (PPM)
• Admin. services (Finance, HR, IT, Engineering, Admin.) to support these lines. (Admin)
WCH – The virus is now present in our community. We have a few patients in the hospital. The majority of tests performed have come back negative for the virus; adjacent counties are showing an increase in patients. Test results are still taking too long to be helpful. We have plans in place to handle the surge in patients, which most likely will happen in the next 2 to 3 weeks in our city. We have an Awesome Staff who are performing well in a tough situation. The most important thing I hear from the Doctors is: Tell people to stay home – the virus cannot move without people. If people stop, the virus stops. And wash your hands and continue social distancing of at least 6 feet!
PD, FD, EMS & Dist – Our safety forces are handling things very well to date. All are following a virus protocol to protect themselves and the people they are serving. Our main concern is keeping our crews healthy and uninfected. We have a COOP (Continuance of Operations Plan) which was put in place about 10 years ago to handle situations just like the present. We are thankful for the talent, expertise and training of our Safety forces. You can depend on them!
Utility – Dependable, safe, fresh water at your tap is another critical function of the city, along with having the used water go away once you are done with it. We do this every day – you can depend on it! Again, keeping staff healthy and uninfected is key, and a plan to deal with things if not.
PPM – We are doing the essentials at this point; keeping the streets usable and pothole free for residents and emergency vehicles, keeping parks & sidewalks open to the public, doing traffic control, and closing areas (playgrounds, b-ball courts, etc.) by order of the Governor. We have a Great Team working here!
Admin – Paying bills, keeping web-sites and information sources available, managing projects we have in motion (critical infrastructure) and guiding emergency response to the virus. We are here for the duration, and will be leading the charge to get our city back up and running after the virus passes!
We will get through this pandemic. There will be loss, hard days, and making tough decisions, but we are well prepared, and better than most to face this challenge. We will need everyone’s help to slow this virus down, and to get our community back up and running after the crisis passes.
Please pray for and Thank all those who are standing in harm’s way to keep our community safe.
Bob Breneman
Mayor of Wooster
