Warning Alert
Officials in Ohio, US, revise coronavirus disease-related travel advisory list as of Oct. 7. Other restrictions remain in place.
Alert Begins 08 Oct 2020 12:47 AM UTC
Alert Expires 15 Oct 2020 11:59 PM UTC
- Incident: COVID-19 restrictions
- Location(s): Ohio (map)
- Time Frame: Indefinite
- Impact: Business and travel disruptions
Summary
Authorities in Ohio have revised the state's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel advisory list, Oct. 7. As per the new measure, travelers entering Ohio from the following states or territories must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival:
Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
Authorities in Ohio are urging residents to avoid nonessential travel to listed states. Authorities recommend all persons arriving from other US states reporting positive COVID-19 testing rates of 15 percent or higher to self-quarantine for two weeks. Ohio's travel advisory list is updated weekly.
Previously imposed COVID-19-related restrictions remain unchanged. Gatherings of more than 10 people are banned statewide; however, businesses, education centers, and religious services are exempt from the public assembly ban. The sale of alcohol after 2200 nightly remains prohibited. Bars, banquet, catering facilities, and restaurants may operate at full capacity. Social distancing must continue to be enforced, face coverings must be worn by employees and patrons when not eating, and no more than 10 people may be seated at a table. Catering and banquet facilities may host no more than 300 people at a time. Museums, zoos, movie theaters, and other indoor entertainment facilities are allowed to open. Office-based businesses, retail stores, personal care businesses, and gyms and fitness centers may also operate. All persons over the age of 10 must wear protective face coverings while in indoor public locations, in outdoor settings where social distancing is not possible, and while using public transportation, taxis, or app-based ride-hailing services.
Ohio continues to employ its Health Advisory System to monitor COVID-19 activity and impose additional restrictions in the most affected counties. Under the system, officials divide the counties into four color-coded public emergency levels, with Level 1 (yellow) representing the lowest level of risk of COVID-19 infection and Level 4 (purple) the highest. Several indicators, including the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases and hospital bed availability, are used to assign counties to the appropriate level.
At Level 4, officials require residents to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel; as of Oct. 7, no county in the state is at this level. At Level 3 (red), residents must limit face-to-face interactions and unnecessary travel and avoid gatherings of any size. As of Oct. 7, the following counties are at Level 3: Ashland, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, Mercer, Montgomery, Muskingum, Pike, Putnam, Richland, and Scioto.
The majority of the state remains at Level 2 (orange), where residents should avoid anyone considered high-risk, decrease in-person interactions, and maintain social distancing. The remaining counties are at Level 1 (yellow), under which residents should maintain social distancing and avoid travel to high-risk areas.
Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice, depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.
Advice
Emphasize basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, maintaining distance from others, and washing hands). There is no evidence that the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions.
Location(s) affected by this alert
- Ohio - Canton*
- Ohio - Cleveland*
- Ohio - Akron*
- Ohio - Youngstown*
- Ohio - Lima*
- Ohio - Columbus*
- Ohio - Dayton*
- Ohio - Toledo*
- Ohio - Cincinnati*