coronavirus - health orders

Ohio House Republicans added a provision into Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year state budget that would erase violations of his COVID health orders by bars and taverns, such as selling too many cocktails to go, not enforcing social distancing and masks or allowing drinking past curfew. But it would also refund those liquor permit holders what they paid in fines.

The Ohio Department of Health is issuing a new health order to pull back existing regulations and encompass most of the restrictions into one larger order.

There are a little over 167 coronavirus cases per 100,000 Ohio residents this week. That’s more than three times Gov. Mike DeWine’s target number to end all health orders such as the mask mandate issued in July.

Critics of the law that will allow state lawmakers to overturn Gov. Mike DeWine’s health orders say that could be costly when it comes to federal funding. Lawmakers overrode DeWine’s veto of that measure this week.

Ohio will get more than a half a million doses of all three COVID vaccines next week. Gov. Mike DeWine says it’s by far the highest amount the state has received so far.

The Ohio House and Ohio Senate have voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine's (R-Ohio) veto of Senate Bill 22. The move can enact a law that weakens the authority of a governor's orders and emergencies.

Public health experts are speaking out against the bill that would allow state lawmakers to overturn a governor’s health and emergency orders, and would restrict those orders at the local level too. Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed that bill yesterday, but legislators are set to override it today.

Gov. Mike DeWine has vetoed a bill that would give state lawmakers the power to overturn his health and emergency orders. DeWine’s fellow Republicans in the legislature who support it are standing firm, so it’s almost certainly headed to a veto override and a court fight.

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) says he's going to veto a bill that would weaken his authority to issue states of emergency and health orders, but he says a deeper discussion can be had about including more public input into the order-making process.

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) says he will veto a bill that would limit the scope of any state of emergency coming out of the governor's office. This sets up a battle between DeWine and a possible override by the legislature.

The Ohio House and Senate have passed a bill to limit states of emergency and health orders issued by the governor. Supporters say the change would allow for more accountability between the executive and legislative branches.

The Ohio House has voted along party lines to approve a bill that would limit states of emergency issued by the governor and allow legislators to rescind health orders. That sends it to the House floor.

The former Ohio House speaker who’s been indicted in a federal corruption case related to the nuclear bailout law he championed has proposed two new bills – both dealing with accountability in government.

In his third statewide primetime address during the pandemic, Gov. Mike DeWine is telling Ohioans when they can expect existing health orders to come off if COVID cases continue to decline. 

New rules on mass gatherings signed yesterday mean indoor sports venues can be up to 25% capacity starting immediately. Last night, Ohio’s major league professional hockey team went back to the ice in front of fans for the first time since last March.

Two new health orders are now in effect that relax rules for Ohio professional and youth sports as well as wedding and entertainment venues. The orders became effective at 12:01 p.m. today.

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) says the state will be increasing the capacity limits for sporting and entertainment events, creating an opportunity for more of these venues to reopen.

The House is looking over a bill passed by Senators that would pull back on Gov. Mike DeWine’s power to issue health orders – by allowing lawmakers to take a bigger role. The House leader is interested in the plan, which DeWine has threatened to veto.

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) says he still might veto a bill that would limit his authority when it comes to issuing a state of emergency and health orders. DeWine defends the restrictions created through these orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Mike DeWine says while Ohio’s COVID numbers are trending in the right direction, the pandemic isn’t over. So he’s warning that he will veto a bill that would pull back on some of his power to issue health orders if state lawmakers send it to him - as he did last year.

The curfew that closed Ohio’s restaurants and bars in late evening hours since November has been lifted. But is there evidence that curfew actually prevented the spread of coronavirus? The governor thinks so.

State lawmakers are starting their new session with an issue that dominated much of last year – the governor’s power to issue health orders that legislators might not like.

Thousands of reports are being reviewed by the Ohio Department of Health before being posted to its coronavirus tracking website. Part of that is double-checking antigen test results with local health departments.

With Ohio in the third week of COVID hospitalizations setting a new record each day, Gov. Mike DeWine laid out two new health orders and previewed the possibility of a limited shutdown. The announcement got mixed reviews from state lawmakers.

Ohio has hit an all-time high in the number of positive cases of COVID-19. During the past 24 hours, 3,590 Ohioans have tested positive for the virus. DeWine is now asking local communities to do more to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

Ohioans with family members in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and developmental disability centers have been able to visit their loved ones outdoors since earlier this summer. They’ll soon be allowed to do that indoors too.

Gov. Mike DeWine is rejecting a proposal from a Republican lawmaker who wants to cancel the state of emergency order he issued in March, as the pandemic was just beginning.