“Responsible RestartOhio”… What Is It?
On April 27, Governor Mike DeWine went live on a press conference regarding Ohio’s plans for reopening in the coming weeks. This plan is titled “Responsible RestartOhio”, and the main goal is to bring back Ohio’s economy without worsening the COVID-19 crisis.
The plan follows this timeline:
May 1 – All healthcare facilities can open for general practice. This includes dentistry. While Ohio allowed for all procedures that were urgent, May 1st will begin the reopening of every non-urgent healthcare need.
May 4 – Manufacturing, construction, and distribution businesses can reopen. Masks must be worn at all times by the workers and customers, and daily health check-ups will be required. No more than 50% of fire code capacity is allowed inside a building.
May 12 – Consumer retail and sales companies can reopen. Again, masks are required and everyone must keep a close watch on their health. No more than 50% of fire code capacity can be reached inside stores.
As for the Stay-At-Home order, state officials will decide whether to lift it based on the virus’ statistics following this two-week plan.
So, how effective is this plan? Is it in the best interest of Ohio’s citizens and economy, or are we reopening too soon?
Simply put, Governor DeWine could not have planned this better. The number of new cases per day is decreasing. Although deaths appear to be rising, that is no indication of how fast the virus is currently spreading. Rather, it shows how the virus is affecting our population. The plan for reopening Ohio is based purely on facts and takes the utmost precautions for the safety of Ohioans. In my opinion, it is the perfect balance of economic reboot and virus control.
Taking It Slow
Ohio’s governor is adamant about moving slowly and following statistics. His careful approach shows how Ohio’s reopening plan is the right move for our economy and citizens. Social media suggests that many Ohioans are still hesitant or nervous to ease out of quarantine, and that is completely understandable. However, the precautions to the virus must not be worse than the virus itself. President Trump has said this multiple times, and he is not wrong. Ohio must maintain its economy in order to not create more problems. Small businesses are especially suffering at this time. Unemployment rates are sky-rocketing, and as of last week, the U.S. reached the highest unemployment rate the country has ever seen. Therefore, Ohio is right in taking action to get people back to work without worsening the pandemic.
The Bottom Line
Gov. DeWine made it clear that the statistics show that it is okay to partially reopen business to begin rebuilding our economy. Sanitary measures are being taken, and so far, Ohio has not seen a spike in new cases since hospitals and construction businesses reopened. The state is proving we can have the best of both worlds; we can take necessary health precautions while also reopening the economy. The virus has killed thousands, but it is important it does not take our economy down too.
