What's open in Ohio: Reopening phases and what you need to know

Whether you Wine with DeWine, whine about DeWine, or just wait for the recaps, it hard to keep up on what’s open in Ohio and when things will reopen. Ohio is in the process of reopening slowly in phases of Responsible RestartOhio.

“Reopening Ohio is a risk, but it’s also a risk if you don’t move forward. We’re on a dangerous road that has never been traveled before in Ohio and the danger is that we relax and stop taking precautions,” said Governor DeWine. “All of us collectively control this. I ask you to take calculated risks and make good judgments. Continue social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing face coverings. If you aren’t concerned with what happens to you, do it for others.”

Public health experts want us to continue social distancing and wearing masks in public to reduce risks of contagion when possible. Please comply with Ohio Department of Health (ODH) orders for the safety of the entire community.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today announced the reopening of certain facilities including certain entertainment facilities with health and safety restrictions.

See June 4 press release here.

Testing Sites in Columbus

According to Gov. DeWine on Twitter, “All #Ohio residents – even those who are low-risk or not showing symptoms – can be tested”

This map shows testing sites throughout Ohio. The map is a combination of private companies offering testing and Community Health Centers. For details about each locations’ testing practices, to get a test referral or schedule an appointment, please go to the appropriate retailers’ website at this link.

Antibody tests in Ohio

Read more about antibody tests here. You should ensure that the antibody test is approved by the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Without the FDA’s EUA approval, there is no way to know if the test kits are valid. Testing companies that are EUA-approved are listed on the FDA website, which is updated daily.

NOTE: Antibody tests are not 100% accurate. Researchers indicated that even if you do test positive for antibodies, there is no indication on how long antibody protection will last, or to what degree.

Red Cross

All blood, platelet and plasma donations through the Red Cross will be tested for antibodies for a limited time. Schedule your blood donation soon!

LabCorp

COVID-19 IgG antibody testing, also known as serology testing, checks for a type of antibody called immunoglobulin G (IgG). You have the option to get the test through LabCorp.com. While the test itself has no upfront out-of-pocket costs, there is a $10 non-refundable service fee for the physician order through PWNHealth. The $10 service fee is not submitted to insurance for reimbursement. See details here.

Check with your local urgent care or doctors office to see if they are offering tests. Some urgent care locations are only charging the $10 fee.

What can we do in Ohio?

Remember, you CAN continue to spend time outdoors, as we’ve been encouraged all along. Hocking Hills State Park remains closed (some to reopen on June 15), but all other parks that we know of are still open (minus playgrounds and sports courts). Please maintain proper distancing.

Outdoor exercise is considered an essential activity, such as walking, hiking, running or biking.
Golf courses are open, with special rules in place for safety (one person per cart, etc)
Boating, fishing, and camping is permitted, including Canoe liveries and recreational paddling
Public gardens are open. These are some of the most beautiful gardens in Columbus. Check out these labyrinths in Central Ohio for some walking meditation.
Garden stores and nurseries are open; curbside pickup is available for many
Tons of Columbus restaurants are offering takeout for pickup and delivery, as well as indoor and outdoor dining. Note all restaurants are ready to open to indoor customers, but you can continue to support them. Check out this guide to Columbus restaurants with pickup and delivery.
Grocery and regular retail stores are open. See senior shopping hours at stores. Grocery pickup and delivery in Columbus
Farmers Markets are open! Some are pre-order/pickup only, while others are the traditional walk-through variety with restrictions. See the farmer’s markets updates for 2020!
Check out our list of free and cheap events for the weekend in Columbus. Many of these are virtual events, but as things continue to reopen, the our weekend calendar will grow.
Yard Sales: Franklin County Public Health has permitted rummage sales, yard sales, and flea markets, and advises precaution and hygiene. See the flyer for advice for sellers and shoppers at yard sales and outdoor retail markets. If you don’t live in Franklin County or require a garage sale permit, check with your county for advisement.
Drive-in theatres are open, and we have several options in Central Ohio, including South Drive-in, Skyview Drive-in in Lancaster, and Easton Drive-in.
Look your best! Personal care services and gyms are open – with restrictions.
Miniature golf, batting cages, and bowling alleys are open. Kids Bowl Free has resumed at participating alleys.
In-person church services: Churches are beginning to hold in-person services. Check with individual churches for guidelines/restrictions.

Businesses that are permitted to reopen on June 10

Entertainment venues listed below may open beginning June 10th if they are able to follow Retail, Consumer, Service & Entertainment Guidelines and other applicable additional guidance:

Aquariums
Art galleries
Country clubs
Ice skating rinks
Indoor family entertainment centers
Indoor sports facilities
Laser tag facilities
Movie theaters (indoor)
Museums
Playgrounds (outdoor)
Public recreation centers
Roller skating rinks
Social clubs
Trampoline parks
Zoos

(see below for businesses that must remain closed for now)

Timeline of Reopening Ohio includes

May 1 – Health care procedures that do not require an overnight hospital stay in Ohio can continue
May 1 – Drive-in theatres can reopen with restrictions and safety guidelines in place. (see page 6 of the Safe at Home order that excludes drive-in theatre) See a list of drive-in theatres in Ohio!
May 4 – Manufacturing, distribution and construction is open
May 4 – General offices can reopen. Companies are asked to have employees work from home if possible
May 12 – Retail businesses, with employees and customers wearing masks. Businesses that reopen in Ohio will need to employ safe business practices
May 15 – Personal care services (salons, barbershops, day spas, nail salons, tanning services) are permitted to reopen with restrictions. The order now includes that tattoo, piercing, acupuncture, cosmetic therapy, and massage businesses may reopen as well, with restrictions.
May 15 – Restaurants and bars are permitted to reopen for outdoor dining with restrictions. Carryout service may continue as usual
May 21 – Restaurants and bars are permitted to reopen for dine-in service with restrictions. Carryout service may continue as usual
May 21 – Campgrounds can reopen
May 22 – Horse racing may resume with no spectators
May 26 – BMV will reopen. Services that can be accomplished online should still be done online. More details on online BMV services can be found at oplates.com. If your license expired on March 9 or after, it is valid until 90 days after the state of emergency ends or December 1, 2020, whichever comes first.
May 26 – Gyms, fitness centers, dance studios, private clubs, pools (public & private) and sports leagues (non-contact) can re-open. This includes skills training for all sports.
May 26 – Miniature golf, batting cages, and bowling alleys will be able to resume operations on May 26th if they can meet appropriate safety protocols.
May 31 – Childcare centers may re-open with reduced number of class sizes, intensified cleaning, daily temp taking, no field trips. Day Camps included.
June 1: Catering and banquet centers can reopen under similar guidelines as restaurants effective June 1. For the immediate future, crowd size will be limited to 300.
June 8: Outdoor visitation for assisted living facilities and intermediate care facilities for those with developmental disabilities, following guidelines.
June 10: Select entertainment facilities, including Aquariums, Art galleries, Country clubs, Ice skating rinks, Indoor family entertainment centers, Indoor sports facilities, Laser tag facilities, Movie theaters (indoor), Museums, Playgrounds (outdoor), Public recreation centers, Roller skating rinks, Social clubs, Trampoline parks, Zoos
June 19: Casinos, racinos, amusement parks, and water parks can open when they can meet safety plans. Outdoor theaters are permitted to reopen June 19
July 13-19: Memorial Golf Tournament is approved to be open to fans
2020/2021 school year: Governor DeWine announced on June 2nd, as of right now, Ohio intends to reopen schools in the fall, but individual starting dates will be up to each local school board. In the near future, broad reopening guidelines will be issued for schools in regard to protecting the health of students and staff when the school year resumes.

What’s still closed/prohibited in Ohio

The following activities and businesses are still closed/prohibited without a date of reopening announced, and will be scheduled to reopen incrementally after data is gathered during Phase 1. These are NOT listed in order of reopening. Once a reopening date is announced, they are removed from the following list.

Large gatherings (more than 10 people) remain prohibited. Catering and banquet centers are permitted to host events of up to 300 people with proper precautions, starting June 1.
Elder daycare services
Entertainment options not listed above including indoor water parks and adult and child skill or chance game facilities. (Laser tag facilities, roller skating rinks, ice skating rinks, arcades, miniature golf facilities, and trampoline parks may open June 10.
Gambling industries and casinos (Horse racing is permitted without spectators.). Permitted to open on June 19.
Rooming and boarding houses, and workers’ camps.
Auditoriums, stadiums, arenas.
Indoor concert and music halls. (Movie theaters and performance theaters are permitted to open June 10.)
Parades, fairs, festivals, and carnivals. (County fairs are permitted, but some have cancelled or postponed)
Amusement parks, theme parks, outdoor water parks, children’s play centers. (Outdoor playgrounds and funplexes are permitted to open June 10, amusement parks, theme parks, and water parks are permitted to open on June 19)
Certain spectator sports, sports tournaments, and organized recreational sports leagues. (Skills training for all sports is permitted. Non-contact and limited-contact sports are permitted. Batting cages, bowling alleys, tennis facilities, and golf courses are permitted to open.) Memorial Tournament is permitted to have fans; details tba.
Visits to nursing home and care facilities may still be restricted (we didn’t see an exact answer in the order).
Fireworks for 4th of July are cancelled across most of Central Ohio, including Red, White, and Boom

Should you stay or should you go?

Even though things have reopened, it’s important for you to consider your risks factors before you spend time in public or around others. If you or people you have regular contact with have high risk factors, you may want to continue to stay at home as much as possible. While we can’t wait for a vaccine, we can wait for them to come up with best treatment options for the best possible outcome. Use information provided by trusted sources to make those choices (we recommend against random YouTube videos). Ohio.gov have tons of resources available, including risk factors, details about community spread, and more.

If you do go out, PLEASE maintain proper distancing and consider wearing a mask if you can. Wearing a mask can help prevent you spreading it to others. If you or someone in your household is not feeling well, STAY HOME!

We know this if a hot topic and people have a wide range of opinions about when/where/why/how, etc., but stressing and arguing doesn’t change where things stand today. Hang in there, and stay healthy.