coronavirus - business

With most of Ohio’s businesses allowed to open up, experts who’ve worked with the state on the modeling it used to create its COVID-19 policies are evaluating their predictions for what’s ahead.

1.2 million Ohioans have filed jobless claims since mid-March. And as Ohio’s businesses reopen, workers are concerned about the availability of child care, the cleanliness of their workplaces and the safety of vulnerable family members as they go back to work. And the agency processing claims has seen that concern too.

Wedding venues, banquet halls and large catering facilities can reopen June 1st. And some venues say they are ready to open now.

For the first time since World War II, the Ohio State Fair won’t go on as scheduled. The fair was set to start on July 29.

Ohio’s bars and restaurants would be able to expand their seating and service into parking lots or public grounds under a new bill at the Statehouse. And they’d also be able to sell alcohol for delivery through third-party services such as GrubHub or Doordash.

As restaurants and bars that had been closed since March opened for outdoor dining this weekend, pictures of packed patios from around the state appeared to show operators and patrons ignoring social distancing protocols. And some restaurants didn’t open their patios for service at all.

A group of 35 independent gyms and fitness centers is suing the state, saying they could reopen for business safely but they’re not being allowed to.

The slowdown of the economy because of COVID-19 has had a huge impact on traffic and transit. And even though the state’s gas tax that funds road construction went up by 10.5 cents a gallon last July, the Ohio Department of Transportation is bracing for a big hit. 

Many of Ohio’s retail stores that had been closed for the past few weeks opened today. There was a light yet steady stream of shoppers inside a Columbus area book store.

Non-essential businesses that were closed during the past month due to COVID-19 are now starting to reopen. But some worry that’s happening too quickly without proper safeguards.

Ohio’s retail businesses that were shut down as non-essential are being allowed to open Tuesday. And by the end of next week, many restaurants, bars and hair salons will also reopen. 

Republicans in the Ohio House have approved a bill that would limit the power and length of public health orders on coronavirus that their fellow Republican, Gov. Mike DeWine, has been issuing through Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. The bill reflects a split in the GOP on how to restart the economy that could carry over into the future.

Manufacturing, construction and distribution companies can reopen today, with employees wearing masks and observing cleaning and social distancing rules. State lawmakers are also coming back to work this week, and one has proposed a bill to open the state immediately while shutting down the authority of the governor and his health director.

Construction, distribution and manufacturing operations can restart Monday in Ohio, and retail shops can open May 12 – though Gov. Mike DeWine’s latest order allows them to do curbside pickup, delivery and appointments now. But more than a million Ohioans have filed for unemployment, and the state is struggling with how it will pay them.

Brick and mortar retail stores throughout Ohio that have been considered non-essential are set to open on May 12th. But the newly expanded stay-at-home order is allowing some to start up tomorrow. 

Gov. Mike DeWine has extended the stay-at-home order expiring May 1 to 11:59pm on May 29. But hospitals can start performing some non-emergency procedures Friday, and dentists and veterinarians can get back to work as well. But some businesses say they plan to open their doors as well.

As Ohio moves closer to allowing certain businesses to reopen after coronavirus closings, Republican and Democratic state lawmakers are raising concerns about his plan and promoting their own ideas.

Dine in service at Ohio’s restaurants is not among the business that will resume in a few days. Restaurants are asking Gov. Mike DeWine to allow them to open mid-May.

After almost five full weeks of a stay-at-home order that closed down thousands of businesses in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine has unveiled his plans to allow some of those enterprises to open up again on Friday.

Republican leadership in the Ohio House set up a bipartisan task force this month that hopes to work with Gov. Mike DeWine on ways to jump start the economy after the coronavirus shutdowns. Around 500 business owners have asked to speak to the panel, which has already heard some sad stories and some outrageous ideas.

Ohio’s self-employed, independent contractors and part time workers who haven’t qualified for unemployment benefits can now start pre-registering for pandemic unemployment assistance, though they won’t see money for a few weeks.

Nearly a million Ohioans - 964,556 people - have filed for unemployment in the last five weeks, more than the combined total in the last two years.  But more are coming as thousands of Ohioans who are self-employed or independent contractors have been waiting to file for unemployment under new federal rules.

The financial impact of Ohio’s shutdowns for coronavirus is enormous. And the billions of dollars that have been set aside by the state over the last seven years may not be enough to cover it all.

The state has paid out $858 million dollars to nearly 350,000 Ohioans who’ve lost their jobs in the last five weeks. And more claims are expected to come in from people who normally can’t file for jobless benefits but will be able to under a federal aid bill.

UPDATE: Chief Judge Algenon Marbley ruled that Hartman's rights aren't being violated because the order applies to all non-essential businesses, and rejected her request for a temporary restraining order on the state's stay at home order. A hearing is set for May 11.

A libertarian group is joining in with a Columbus bridal shop in filing a lawsuit in federal court against Ohio’s stay at home order, saying the state must hold hearings for businesses that have been shut down.

The task force of state lawmakers meeting virtually to consider how businesses in Ohio should reopen following the COVID19 has been hearing testimony from leaders of companies and trade associations. But some on that bipartisan panel are concerned there’s a lack of diversity among those participating.

Gov. Mike DeWine says the state is fighting a war on two fronts, one against against the coronavirus and the other against a struggling economy. He says with that in mind, the state will go into a new phase of the COVID-19 response on May 1 with a plan to slowly reopen businesses.

Gov. Mike DeWine says the plan to restart Ohio’s economy begins on May 1, when the stay at home order expires. But one of the experts involved in the modeling that Ohio is using to create its pandemic policy says it’ll be a slow process. 

Small business leaders throughout the state are telling a House panel looking at how to lift Ohio’s Stay Home order they need to allow businesses to open now.