Ohio is ditching capacity limits on outdoor events.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday (April 5) that the state would lift attendance caps on events like festivals, sports ad more. Currently, professional sports teams can only allow 30% capacity, the Cleveland Scene reported. The new state order will also stress the importance of four COVID-19 safety precautions: wearing masks, social distancing, staying outside when possible, and washing hands.
"If we can keep those things in mind, those four things, we're going to be able to do about anything we want to do this summer," DeWine said. "People are tired. They've been at this for a year and so it has to be simple…Spring and summer’s going to look a lot better this year for Ohioans, but it’s going to be based on that common sense.”
Last month, DeWine announced the benchmark that the state would use to determine when Ohio’s health orders can be lifted.
“When Ohio gets down to 50 cases per 100,000 people for two weeks, all health orders will come off,” the governor said at that time. “Cases per 100,000 people for a two-week period is a standard measure we have used since early in the pandemic.”
“The end of our fight is now in view, but we must continue pressing forward in these final days,” he added. “We must not relent.”
The Ohio Department of Health has reported more than 1 million total cases statewide as of Monday, the latest data available. State data show a rate of 167.1 cases per 100,000 people.
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