Dating back to November, Ohio has been under a 10 p.m. curfew in an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
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But with the state's coronavirus trends having decreased in recent weeks, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced new criteria for the state to push back and ultimately remove its curfew.
At his press briefing on Tuesday, Gov. DeWine announced that Ohio's curfew will be pushed back to 11 p.m. for two weeks if its number of hospitalizations remains below 3,500 for seven consecutive days. DeWine stated that the Buckeye State could meet this threshold as soon as this coming Thursday.
Subsequently, should Ohio manage to remain below 3,000 hospitalizations for seven straight days, its curfew will then be pushed back to 12 a.m. for a two-week period. After that, if Ohio can keep its hospitalizations under 2,500 for seven consecutive days, the curfew would be lifted altogether.
As of Tuesday, Ohio is reporting 2,964 active hospitalizations -- a decrease of 73 active hospitalizations from the day prior.
Gov. DeWine first announced Ohio's curfew on Nov. 17, 2020 amid speculation he might enact a business shutdown similar to the one the state experienced in the spring. The curfew requires businesses deemed "non-essential" to be closed between 10 p.m.-5 a.m. and for citizens, with some exceptions to remain in their homes or place of residence during that time period.
You can watch Gov. DeWine's full press briefing in the video below: