At last, another US state has decided to take a crucial step forward into a post-pandemic society.
Today Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced his state will be removing “all pandemic health orders, except those for nursing homes & assisted living facilities, on June 2."
?@OHDeptofHealth will remove all pandemic health orders, except those for nursing homes & assisted living facilities, on June 2. This will give anyone not vaccinated time to get the one-shot J&J vaccine or the first dose of Pfizer/Moderna and be well on the way to immunity.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
DeWine remarked that everyone should have a right to decide about wearing a mask or social distancing amongst themselves. The same goes for private businesses, which on that note, the Governor anticipates many “stores or businesses may require social distancing and masking.”
Mike DeWine took to Twitter to also announce a giveaway/sweepstakes contest for Ohioans who get vaccinated. They’ll get a full four-year scholarship to a State of Ohio university of their choice. The finer details are unclear but he stressed the importance of citizens participating in vaccination, statewide.
A separate drawing for adults is planned. DeWine is giving away one million dollars apiece to five lucky people.
Ohio joins places like Texas, Georgia, and Arizona in making sweeping moves to get back on track. Something that’s admittingly hard to do given the piecemeal approach different states are taking.
However this handy map from The New York Times is updated regularly, going on over what’s what, and where.
The United States stands in contrast to Canada, where provinces like Ontario are still under a stay-at-home order. The pandemic situation in the country is forecasted to likely impact their summer season.