Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday that schools would be shut down for weeks and large gatherings would be banned to slow the spread of the coronavirus, one of the most aggressive government actions yet in response to the pandemic.
We have today again consulted with experts, so we are announcing today that children in the state will have an extended spring break of 3 weeks. We will review it afterwards. This will begin on Monday.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 12, 2020
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The ban on large gatherings exceeding 100 people applies to auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, large conference rooms, meeting halls, cafeterias, parades, fairs, and festivals. The ban does not apply to airports, offices, hospitals, or shopping malls, though.
Ohio health officials have confirmed five cases of coronavirus, but no one has died.
The director of the state health department, Dr. Amy Acton, estimated that 1% of the state population, or more than 100,000 people, are carrying the virus.
“This is temporary,” DeWine said. “We will get back to normal in Ohio. It won’t happen overnight.”
