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Government responses to and political effects of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 (Ohio)

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Responses by state

Ballotpedia’s coverage of COVID-19 includes how federal, state, and local governments are responding, and how those responses are influencing election rules and operations, political campaigns, the economy, schools, and more.

This article contains coverage of eight kinds of state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article tracks developments in these areas that took place between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 through Dec. 4, 2020. The government responses covered here include:

Additionally, the article includes:

To view current coverage areas, including mask requirements, school responses, travel restrictions, and much more, click a state in the map below.

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Changes to election dates and procedures, March 16 through November 19

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

General election changes

Ohio modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee ballot applications could be submitted by fax or email for the general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Primary election changes

Ohio modified its primary election process as follows:

  • Election postponements: Absentee voting in the primary election was extended to April 27. The final date for in-person voting, restricted to individuals with disabilities and those without home mailing addresses, was April 28.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Click the gray bar below for more detailed information.


Statewide stay-at-home order, March 23 through December 4

See also: States with lockdown and stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

On March 22, Amy Acton, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health, issued a stay at home order that directed individuals in the state to stay at home unless performing essential activities and placed restrictions on non-essential businesses.[27] The order was originally set to expire on April 6. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) extended the order to May 1.[28] On April 30, he extended the order until May 29.[29] On May 19, DeWine signed “Ohioans Protecting Ohioans Urgent Health Advisory,” which replaced the state’s stay-at-home order, “Stay Safe Ohio.”[30]

The stay at home order specified the industries and businesses that would be permitted to remain open.

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Executive orders, March 30 through June 29

See also: Executive orders issued by governors and state agencies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020



Court closures, March 17 through November 4

See also: State court closures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • May 19, 2020: The Ohio Jury Trial Advisory Group issued a report and recommendations titled, “Standards and Practices Essential to the Resumption of Jury Trials in Ohio.” The recommendations, prepared for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, outlined how the court might safely resume jury trials following the coronavirus pandemic, including social distancing during voir dire, and sanitization of courthouse facilities.[31]
  • May 8, 2020: The Ohio Supreme Court issued “Responsible RestartOhio Court Access Plan,” which provided guidelines for the operation of Ohio’s judicial system. The plan included providing daily health assessments of employees and establishing a process for the sanitation and cleaning of court facilities.[32]
  • March 17. 2020: State courts in Ohio were open and adhering to CDC recommendations.[33] Numerous localities have suspended or delayed trials.[34]

Legislative session changes, March 20 through October 1

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

The Ohio State Legislature suspended legislative activity on an uncertain date. The House reconvened on May 6, 2020. The Senate reconvened on May 13, 2020.[35][36]

Proposed and enacted legislation, March 25 through August 19

See also: State laws in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

See below for a complete list of bills related to the coronavirus pandemic in Ohio. To learn more about a particular bill, click its title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies, April 9 through November 24

See also: Changes to rent, mortgage, eviction, and foreclosure policies in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020


  • As of April 6, 2020, Ohio had not implemented any policies related to evictions or foreclosures in response to the coronavirus.
    • On April 1, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued an executive order requesting landlords suspend evictions for commercial tenants inability to pay rent due to the coronavirus pandemic for 90 days.[37]
    • Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor asked municipal courts to limit eviction and foreclosure proceedings.[38]


Prison inmate release responses, March 30 through July 1

See also: State and local governments that released prison inmates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020
  • May 26, 2020: The Supreme Court of the United States declined to stay an order issued by U.S. District Judge James Gwin that would require the government to move hundreds of at-risk inmates from federal prison. The Department of Justice appealed Gwin’s order, first to the Sixth Circuit (who declined to act) and then to the Supreme Court. The court’s statement noted that Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Neil M. Gorsuch would have granted the administration’s request.[39]
  • May 19, 2020: On May 19, U.S. District Court Judge James Gwin for the Northern District of Ohio ordered the Bureau of Prisons to expedite the release of 837 medically vulnerable inmates in Ohio’s Elkton Federal Correctional Institute through home confinement or compassionate release due to the coronavirus pandemic. In his order, the judge cited “poor progress in transferring the subclass members out of Elkton through the various means referenced in the Court’s preliminary injunction order.” The ruling follows a class action habeas petition filed by the ACLU of Ohio and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center.[40]
  • April 22, 2020: U.S. District Court Judge James Gwin for the Northern District of Ohio ordered the transfer or release of certain vulnerable inmate populations from Elkton prison, a federal prison in Ohio, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Inmates who are older with underlying health conditions are considered for transfer out of the prison through, but not limited to, compassionate release, parole or community supervision, transfer furlough, or non-transfer furlough within two weeks. Those who are deemed ineligible, but are still vulnerable, will be transferred to another Bureau of Prisons facility where measures, such as testing and social distancing, can be taken.[41]
  • April 16, 2020: Gov. Mike DeWine authorized the release of 105 inmates who were near the end of their sentences. The releases were approved by Ohio's Correctional Institution Inspection Committee. The inmates released were nonviolent offenders with no warrants in other states or significant prison rule violations and were within 90 days of their initial release date.[42]
  • April 14, 2020: Ohio's Correctional Institution Inspection Committee, at the request of Gov. Mike DeWine, approved the early release of 141 inmates due to the coronavirus pandemic. The inmates considered for release were within 90 days of their original release date and were not convicted of violent or sex offenses.[43]
  • April 3, 2020: Gov. Mike DeWine announced that his administration recommended the release of 38 inmates, who had not been convicted of violent offenses, due to coronavirus.[44] A few counties made the decision to release incarcerated individuals on the local level.[45]


Debate in Ohio over responses to the coronavirus

See also: Debate in Ohio over responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia is covering the debate over continuing restrictions and closures in Ohio in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Click on the links below to read more about these debates.

Status of industries, May 15 through July 31

Between May 15 and July 31, we conducted detailed tracking of industries and activities in each state daily.

  • "Yes" means an activity was allowed or an industry was permitted to open. "No" means an activity was not allowed or an industry was not permitted to reopen.
  • Some rules were applied regionally rather than statewide. Each cell shows the loosest restriction in place at the time, or the broadest level of an activity permitted in the state, even if that activity was only permitted regionally. Where applicable, we indicated that an activity was only permitted regionally, and provided details in a cell note. For example, if gyms were permitted to open in half of a state, the spreadsheet would say "Yes (regionally)," and differences between the regions would be explained in a note.
  • A lack of detail in a note or parentheses does not necessarily mean that an activity or industry was "back to normal." We did our best to capture caveats, exceptions, and modifications to activities. We acknowledge, though, that states put forth a large number of requirements for many industries and activities.

Initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures

Ohio released an initial reopening plan from March and April 2020 closures on April 27, 2020. An analysis of this plan appeared in our Documenting America's Path to Recovery newsletter on May 20. The sections below include an analysis of the plan, the details of the plan, and reactions from officials to the plan.

Summary from Documenting America's Path to Recovery

See also: Documenting America's Path to Recovery: May 20, 2020

On April 27, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), Lt. Gov. Jon Husted (R), and Director of the Ohio Department of Health Amy Acton announced the Responsible Restart Ohio plan. The initial plan included extending certain stay-at-home protocols and allowing sectors including manufacturing, offices, and retail to reopen between May 4 and May 12 under specified guidelines. Subsequent orders from the state health department have allowed other sectors to reopen. The Restart plan includes protocols that all businesses must follow, such as requiring employees to wear face coverings and limiting capacity to meet social distancing guidelines. The plan also includes sector-specific requirements and recommendations for 14 types of businesses and additional guidance for healthcare services and hospitals. Nine sector-specific advisory groups are responsible for advising on best practices. On April 27, DeWine said, "We put this plan together based on all the information we have about how dangerous COVID-19 still is right now, balanced with the fact that it's also dangerous to have people not working. … COVID-19 is still out there. It's still killing people. We're asking Ohioans to be reasonable and rational. Please don't take huge chances, and please use common sense when you go out and where you go out." On May 19, DeWine announced the end of the Stay Safe Ohio order and its replacement by the Ohioans Protecting Ohioans Urgent Health Advisory. He said the state is shifting from requirements to strong recommendations for some measures because Ohioans have avoided overwhelming hospitals, the number of secondary infections caused by an initially infected person are down, and best practices for reopening businesses are in place.

Context

  • The Ohio Department of Health issued a stay-at-home order effective 11:59 p.m. on March 23, set to expire April 6. It ordered people to stay home except for essential activities and to maintain a distance of six feet in public, limited gatherings to no more than 10 people, and ordered nonessential businesses to close (dine-in and personal services were ordered closed between March 15 and 19). The health department amended the order with additional restrictions on April 2, extending it until May 1.
  • The health department issued the Stay Safe Ohio order on April 30, continuing several stay-at-home protocols and allowing for certain sectors to reopen under specified guidelines. The Ohio Department of Health has released additional orders allowing other sectors to reopen, and the governor's office and health department released a timeline for further reopenings. On May 19, DeWine announced the Stay Safe order was replaced ahead of its May 29 expiration date with an advisory.
  • As of May 19, Ohio had 28,952 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 1,720 confirmed and probable deaths. Ohio had an estimated population of 11.7 million as of July 2019. Ohio had 247.7 cases per 100,000 residents and 14.7 deaths per 100,000 residents.
  • Ohio is a Republican trifecta, with a Republican governor and Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

Ohioans Protecting Ohioans Urgent Health Advisory

At the time of this writing, the advisory replacing the Stay Safe Ohio order had not yet been signed. The following information is from DeWine's press briefing and a press release on May 19. The health advisory includes the following recommendations:

  • Maintain six feet of social distancing
  • Wash hands frequently
  • Vulnerable individuals (65 and older, or any age with an underlying health condition) stay home as much as possible, avoid crowds, and wear a mask when out
  • All residents stay at home as much as possible
  • Not traveling unnecessarily

The advisory removes a 14-day quarantine period for people traveling into or returning to Ohio. The advisory announcement also said, "those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not recovered, those who are presumptively diagnosed with COVID-19, and those who are exhibiting the symptoms identified in the screening guidance available from the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health" may not enter the state except in certain circumstances. The 10-person gathering size limit and requirements on businesses to follow social distancing and sanitation guidelines remain in place.

Protocols for businesses

All businesses must: “

  • Require face coverings for employees and recommend them for clients/customers at all times.
  • Conduct daily health assessments by employers and employees (self-evaluation) to determine if "fit for duty."
  • Maintain good hygiene at all times – hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing.
  • Clean and sanitize workplaces throughout workday and at the close of business or between shifts.
  • Limit capacity to meet social distancing guidelines.
    • Establish maximum capacity at 50% of fire code.
    • And, use appointment setting where possible to limit congestion.

” When a COVID-19 infection is identified, employers must: “

  • Immediately report employee or customer infections to the local health district.
  • Work with local health department to identify potentially exposed individuals to help facilitate appropriate communication/contact tracing.
  • Shutdown shop/floor for deep sanitation if possible.
  • Professionally clean and sanitize site/location.
  • Reopen in consultation with the local health department.

” See the Ohio Department of Health's Checklist for Businesses/Employers for additional guidance.

Timeline

Businesses could reopen according to the following schedule if they could meet general and sector-specific requirements. May 1 * Healthcare providers

  • Dentists
  • Veterinarians

May 4 * General office workplaces

  • Manufacturing, distribution, and construction

May 12 * Consumer and retail services May 15 * Personal services (including tattoo shops, body piercings, hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, spas)

  • Massage, cosmetic therapy, acupuncture
  • Outdoor dining at restaurants and bars

May 21 * Dine-in services at restaurants and bars

  • Campgrounds

May 22 * Horse racing (no spectators) May 26 * Gyms and fitness centers

  • Swimming pools that are regulated by local health departments
  • No-contact/limited-contact sports leagues
  • Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles for certain services

May 31 * Child care

  • Day camps

Sector-specific guidelines

The Ohio Department of Health had released the following requirements and recommendations for specific sectors as of May 20:

Reactions

  • After DeWine announced his initial plan on April 27, state House Speaker Larry Householder (R) said the following on the May 12 reopening date for retail:

"There is a tremendous amount of frustration from the majority of members in the Ohio House regarding the Administration's unwillingness to recognize that small businesses that have much less daily traffic in their stores are closed while their large chain competitors have been open throughout the process.

As long as small retailers continue to be shut down while national chains are allowed to remain open, government is assisting in the demise of many great small businesses. The big get bigger and the small go away."

  • On May 8, WCBE reported that Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said:

"No child care? Tough luck. Let’s protect any company that opened unhealthily from liability. You lose your unemployment because you didn’t feel safe. All the risks of this reopening from my view are being pushed down to the worker."

  • A joint statement from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, National Federation of Independent Businesses Ohio Chapter, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Ohio Manufacturers Association, and Ohio Business Roundtable said of the April 27 plan:

"Today’s announcement on the reopening strategies of Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted are responsible first steps to Ohio getting back to business. For many businesses in Ohio, the staged reopening of commerce beginning May 1 through May 12 is a relief. We appreciate that the DeWine Administration listened to the business community as well as relevant experts in establishing the required safety protocols."

  • The Ohio Municipal League said of the April 27 plan:

"The decisions being made by the Governor reflect the difficult choices in balancing the potential health consequences of reengaging Ohio’s economy with the realities that the prolonged interruption of economic activity will have on our state and our communities. We appreciate the Governor and administration officials for their continued communication with Ohio’s municipal leaders and for the partnership in addressing the challenges facing those on our front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Coronavirus resources

Click the links below to explore official resources related to the coronavirus outbreak.

State resources

Twitter feeds for government officials and agencies appear below.

Federal resources

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, "A. Philip Randolph Institute v. LaRose: Order," October 9, 2020
  2. ↑ United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, "A. Philip Randolph Institute v. LaRose: Opinion and Order," October 8, 2020
  3. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Federal judge strikes down Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s limit on ballot drop boxes," October 8, 2020
  4. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Appeals court says it’s up to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose whether counties can have multiple ballot drop boxes," October 2, 2020
  5. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Ohio counties can offer expanded ballot collection options, but only at a single site, Secretary of State Frank LaRose says," October 5, 2020
  6. ↑ Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, "Ohio Democratic Party v. LaRose: Entry Granting Preliminary Injunction, and Granting Stay Pending Appeal," September 16, 2020
  7. ↑ Ohio Court of Appeals for the Tenth Appellate District, "Ohio Democratic Party v. LaRose: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose's Opening Merits Brief," September 21, 2020
  8. ↑ Reuters, "Ohio to keep ballot-box limits for now after judge calls them 'unreasonable,'" September 15, 2020
  9. ↑ Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, "Ohio Democratic Party v. LaRose: Opinion," September 15, 2020
  10. ↑ Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, "Ohio Democratic Party v. LaRose: Decision and Entry on Plaintiff's Motion for Preliminary Injunction," September 11, 2020
  11. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "LAROSE SENDS 48-POINT GUIDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNTY BOARDS," August 12, 2020
  12. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "2020 PRIMARY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS," accessed March 27, 2020
  13. ↑ Ohio General Assembly, "HB 197 (enrolled)," accessed March 27, 2020
  14. ↑ WDTN News 2, "Coronavirus in Ohio Friday update: 1,137 COVID-19 cases confirmed, 19 deaths," March 27, 2020
  15. ↑ United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, "League of Women Voters of Ohio v. LaRose: Opinion and Order," April 3, 2020
  16. ↑ WOSU Public Media, "Coronavirus In Ohio: Judge Denies Request To Delay Primary Election Until June 2," March 16, 2020
  17. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Judge denies request to delay Ohio primary election until June over coronavirus," March 16, 2020
  18. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Gov. Mike DeWine wants to postpone Ohio’s Tuesday primary election till June 2 due to coronavirus," March 16, 2020
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 The Daily Record, "Coronavirus: Ohio election is off despite judge’s ruling, DeWine, LaRose say," March 16, 2020
  20. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Citing health emergency, Ohio officials to order polls closed on Election Day, despite judge’s ruling," March 16, 2020
  21. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  22. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "Coronavirus: Ohio Supreme Court allows delay to primary election," March 17, 2020
  23. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Corona Facts," accessed March 17, 2020
  24. ↑ Supreme Court of Ohio, "Ohio Democratic Party v. LaRose: Complaint," March 17, 2020
  25. ↑ Cleveland.com, "Ohio offering curbside voting, loosening absentee voting rules for quarantined and hospitalized due to coronavirus," March 16, 2020
  26. ↑ USA Today, "Ohio offering curbside voting, extending absentee deadline for those in hospital in wake of coronavirus," March 16, 2020
  27. ↑ [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P_GpxP8LHlMu3mqymKQA99jMSDN0z7qt/view Ohio Department of Health', "Director's Stay At Home Order", March 22, 2020
  28. ↑ FOX19, "Expanded stay-at-home order takes effect Monday," April 6, 2020
  29. ↑ NBC4I, "‘Stay safe Ohio’ order extends stay at home until May 29, with exceptions," April 30, 2020
  30. ↑ Mike DeWine Governor of Ohio, "COVID-19 Update: Ohioans Protecting Ohioans Urgent Health Advisory," May 19, 2020
  31. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named May20
  32. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named May11
  33. ↑ The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System, "Coronavirus Resources," accessed March 17, 2020
  34. ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Coronavirus & The Courts," accessed March 19, 2020
  35. ↑ Multistate, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," accessed March 20, 2020
  36. ↑ The Ohio Legislature, "Session Schedule," accessed April 28, 2020
  37. ↑ Mike DeWine Governor of Ohio, "Commercial Evictions and Foreclosures," April 1, 2020
  38. ↑ Million Acres, "Cities and States That Have Paused Evictions Due to COVID-19," April, 3, 2020
  39. ↑ The Washington Post, "Supreme Court won’t stop Ohio order for prisoners to be moved or released because of coronavirus," May 26, 2020
  40. ↑ United States District Court Nothern District of Ohio, "Order on Motion to Enforce," May 19, 2020
  41. ↑ United States District Court Northern District of Ohio "Craig Wilson, et al., vs. Mark Williams, et al.," April 22, 2020
  42. ↑ City Beat, "DeWine Authorizes Release of 105 Inmates as Coronavirus Cases in Ohio Prisons Swell into the Hundreds," April 16, 2020
  43. ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Coronavirus in Ohio: Lawmakers recommend release of about 141 non-violent inmates near end of sentences," April 14, 2020
  44. ↑ [ Scene, "DeWine Recommends Release of 38 Ohio Prison Inmates Due to Coronavirus; Advocates Want Many More Released," April 3, 2020]
  45. ↑ Washington Post, ""‘Disaster waiting to happen’: Thousands of inmates released as jails and prisons face coronavirus threat," March 25, 2020
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Political responses to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020-2021
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