A few jurisdictions across Ohio have mask mandates in place including Columbus but the vast . Mysheika Roberts. . The next letter in the Greek alphabet is pi, there will be a pi variant. City Forms - Building Permits, Applications, Licenses. Ohio reported 2,121 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, a dramatic decline from one month ago. If you want a pest-free patio this spring, the most important thing you can do is take away those elements that bugs find desirable. Most Columbus-area schools have removed their mask mandates in recent weeks. But mask mandates vary by municipality. Columbus City Council voted unanimously Mondaytorescind the city's COVID-19 mask mandate, after a city health official confirmed that the risk level to the community continued to drop over the last week. RT @QasimRashid: Today in Columbus, OH, Nazi terrorists hid behind masks & screamed "THERE WILL BE BLOOD! We will continue to seek the guidance from our Health Commissioner, Dr. Mysheika Roberts, spokesperson Robin Davis said. COLUMBUS, Ohio States across the country are easing their mask mandates for indoor settings as coronavirus cases nationwide have slowed down. Columbus last had a mask mandate in place from September 2021 until March 2022. Businesses will receive a warning for symptoms can spread it to others, including those who are at high risk of Yes. Last week, the county health agency rescinded its universal guidance to schools and municipalities to require masks. With. Masks in schools: Is your school district requiring masks? "While there's no doubt we are quickly moving in the right direction, it's simply too early for us to declare victory given the reality that thousands of Ohioans are still being diagnosed with COVID-19 each and every day," said Vanderhoff. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. More than 60% of U.S. counties are at low or medium transmission. vaccinated.. But that doesn't mean you should throw your mask away completely. [COLUMBUS, OH] In response to the rise of the delta variant of COVID-19, on Monday, September 13, 2021, Council passed ordinance 2388-2021, directing residents to wear facial coverings or masks in indoor public spaces. But Bexley residents remain divided on when that should happen. Columbus City Schools said its mask mandate will end on Tuesday. Prior to the last two weeks, the state has not seen more than 20,000 reported new cases in a week in nearly five months. Download it here. Red Herring Theater Company: Masks will become optional March 24 with the opening of the play Dancing Lessons, the companys next production. status of COVID-19 in our community, among other legislative changes. Do I have to wear a mask to theaters and concerts? Megan Henry is the Columbus Dispatch's K-12 education reporter. BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) Ohio ended its statewide mask mandate back in June 2021, but several central Ohio communities, including the city of Columbus, still have them in place. That applies toCOTA buses and rideshare services, like Uber and Lyft. Worthington City Council is expected to vote to lift their mask mandate later this evening. The requirement has been in place since September 2021, nearly 6 months. Combined with last week, the state has reported more than 50,000 cases during the two most recent reporting periods, the first time thats happened since last winter. We're updating this file with information on the policies in local schools, at Ohio State, on buses, in theaters, at museums and more. In Ohio, state health officials reported a steady decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the course of one month. No. Natasha is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and has more than 20 years of television news and radio experience. If youre vaccinated, boosted, whatever, and you want to wear a mask, go ahead, said resident David Dietz. Yes. Yes. Only 0.2% of respiratory specimens tested by clinical laboratories last season came back positive for the influenza virus nationwide. For sure I think as numbers decrease, and hopefully as we see that being a long-term trend, I would imagine that people would become frustrated with it, said Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler. Vanderhoff explained, while the numbers are declining, the state is not out of the woods yet. The CDCs new guidance bases mask recommendations on three transmission levels low, medium and high, which are determined by cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity. Herbert is pleased that virus numbers are falling briskly COVID-19 hospitalizations at Mount Carmel have dropped tenfold since the peak, but he said the mandate should continue because he believes that masking is part of the reason why cases are dropping. But one local infectious disease doctor said although the COVID-19 pandemic is moving in the right direction, our battle with the deadly disease is not over yet. We're updating this file with information on the policies in local schools, at Ohio State,on buses, in theaters, at museums and more. There was no letdown in the severity of omicron.. Do I have to wear a mask at museums and the zoo? The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new COVID-19 risk guidance map Friday that indicates counties representing more than 70% of the U.S. population may not need to wear masks indoors including Franklin County and its surrounding . The CDCs new guidance bases mask recommendation on three transmission levels low, medium and high, which are determined by cases, hospitalizations and hospital capacity. The Wexner Center for the Arts:The venue is looking at its policy and will offer more information in the coming days. At the low level, there is no recommendation for masks. Do Columbus-area schools still require masks? Masks are still required, however, on CABS buses, in clinical health care settings such as at the Wexner Medical Center, COVID-19 testing locations and child care centers. The second way the mandate could be dropped is if cases declined significantly. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Columbus Public Health. facial coverings in all indoor public spaces. Columbus last had a mask mandate in place from September 2021 until March 2022. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginthers office said Friday it is evaluating the federal guidance as city officialsconsider liftingthe indoor mask requirement that has been in place since September. We appreciate the latest insights from health officials who have helped our communities navigate this challenging pandemic.. So bring your mask and card to those venues, which includethe Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, and the Riffe Centers Davidson Theatre and three studio theaters. The requirement which must be removed by Worthington City Council and Columbus City Council through legislative action and by Columbus Mayors executive order will be lifted in seven days to ensure the community maintains the new current level of disease burden and to give public and private entities time to adjust their policies and prepare for the shift, a statement from Columbus Public Health said. civil penalty for a violation of said mandate; and to declare an emergency. Columbus Public Health will enforce this requirement and issue The city and county both previously issued a mask advisory on Aug. 5, 2021. Shadowbox Live: Effective Monday, the theater will no longer require guests to wear masks. At the medium level, the CDC recommends people at increased risk consult with a health professional about wearing a mask. A sign requiring masks as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus is posted on a store front in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. @ColumbusCouncil voted to lift this requirement based on new CDC mask guidelines & public health recommendations. Reach her at mhenry@dispatch.com or (614) 559-1758. The TSA requirement also applies to airports and airplanes. Columbus' mask mandate had covered all indoor public spaces in city limits and applied to everyone, regardless of vaccination status. UPDATED 6:22 PM ET Feb. 28, 2022 COLUMBUS, Ohio Columbus Public Health announced Monday that it recommends the city can lift its mask requirement on March 7. A Columbus Public Health spokesperson said Friday: "We look forward to seeing the guidance and will make a determination (about the. Think outside the box this Mothers Day and opt for gifts other than flowers and chocolate. "We are in a very different position today than we were in September when this council put the mask order in place," she said, mentioning expanded vaccine authorization, new therapeutics and the widespread availability of testing. FCPH previously dropped a county-wide mask advisory on Feb. 28. Masks are no longer required in indoor public places in Columbus. 90 West Broad St. The CDC considers the community spread level in Franklin County to be high with 214.01 cases per 100,000 people. The mask requirement in Whitehall was ended Monday. City officials in both Columbus and Bexley agree, with the mayor of Bexley saying that while they understand peoples frustration, they want to make things as safe as possible. Vanderhoff said case rates vary substantially from county to county, and he also stressed that high-risk individuals are encouraged to continue wearing masks, even as communities in Ohio ease their guidance. "With decreasing case numbers and hospitalizations in Franklin County and across Ohio, we should feel good about where we are in this pandemic, but still vigilant," Council President Shannon Hardin said. School districts in central Ohio have already begun relaxing their mask mandates because of the current trend. Bexley City Councillifted its mask mandatelast week. The lifting of local mask mandates comes as states across the country also consider pulling back their requirements, including both New York and New Jersey. Dublin and Westerville will Tuesday. More than 60% of U.S. counties are at at low or medium transmission. Columbus City Council voted unanimously Monday to rescind the city's COVID-19 mask mandate, after a city health official confirmed that the risk level to the community continued to drop. Columbus mask mandate: Columbus order to require masks for all publicly accessible indoor spaces. Top US doctor on future of masks, mental health, As the omicron wave of the coronavirus subsides and some U.S. states ease mask mandates, the nation's top doctor says slowly "pulling back" blanket requirements is to be expected, but that policies should still prioritize equity and safety. During a press conference Thursday, Ohio Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff addressed Columbuss move toward possibly ending its mask mandate. On Feb. 16, the mayors office announced that mask requirements could be lifted in the coming weeks if virus levels continue to decline, sharing the update after a meeting with officials who represent Bexley, Whitehall and Worthington. "Here in 2022, the COVID vaccines are the most effective protections against the virus. With that good news comes a question that is most likely on many minds: Is Columbus close to dropping its mask mandate? We are naive to think we are not going to have flu this year, Gastaldo said. Announcing the possible end date, officials encouraged residents to get vaccines and boosters and noted that the city councils for Columbus and Worthington will need to take action to remove the mandate. Columbus' mask mandate had covered all indoor public spaces in city limits and applied to everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Download it here. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated and boosted. So bring your mask and card to those venues, which include the Ohio Theatre, Palace Theatre, Southern Theatre, Lincoln Theatre, and the Riffe Centers Davidson Theatre and three studio theaters. Columbus City Council and the mayor could take action to lift the mandate in the city. State leaders have cited declining COVID-19 infection rates and rising vaccination rates as the reason behind the decisions. School mask requirements are also still up to individual school boards. . If you have an at-risk condition, regardless of your medical status, you should talk to your healthcare provider about recommendations individually for you on mask wearing indoors in public, he said. 30 Apr 2023 13:50:15 Columbus, OH 43215 Roberts said Columbus Public Health has discussed the mask question with Columbus City Schools, but she is not aware of the district having made a decision yet. Learn More. Here's how you can get started, Columbus doctor, parent weighs in on mask debate, Ohio State reopening concessions at athletic events, relaxing other pandemic restrictions.