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Ohio issues new retail mask order, goes into effect Monday

FILE - In this Dec. 13, 2019, file photo, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine speaks about his plans for the coming year during an interview at the Governor's Residence in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio's Republican governor was hailed as prophetic for his decisive steps to shut down schools and stop the state's presidential primary election early during the coronavirus outbreak. Since then, he's found navigating a path out of the state's pandemic shutdown to be a bumpy one. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Ohio’s new retail mask order was officially signed Friday and is set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine first announced the new mask order during his coronavirus address to the state on Wednesday.

“Every retail employee has the right to work in an environment that is as safe as can be, which means all customers must wear masks,” DeWine said in a statement issued Friday. “Further, each Ohioan who goes out to shop has the right to know that every store they enter will be safe and the people they encounter in that store will be wearing a mask. We know that masks work.  They are the easiest, most cost-effective way to limit the spread of COVID-19.”


Interim Director of the Ohio Department of Health Lance Himes signed the order Friday.

Any business not found to be in compliance with the mask order could be shut down for a maximum of 24 hours in order for the virus to dissipate inside the business.

The order was signed on a day when Ohio recorded a new record of daily COVID-19 cases, surpassing 8,000 daily cases for the first time since the pandemic began in March.

This order does not apply to restaurants, bars, banquet and catering centers, hair salons, day spas, nail salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, body piercing locations, tanning facilities, gyms, dance instruction studios, or personal fitness venues because these businesses have their own separate health orders.

This order restates that everyone 10 years-old or older must wear a facial covering when in a retail store and includes the following provisions:

The enforcement process for the order will follow the procedure below: