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Ohio to lift some restrictions on visits to behavioral health hospitals beginning March 1, reopen admission to veteran homes

The state will still enforce masks and social distancing within the facility.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — During his Thursday afternoon press conference, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that beginning March 1, Ohio will lift several restrictions on visitors to behavioral health hospitals in Ohio.

"Beginning March 1st, we will lift restrictions on visitors to our state’s behavioral health hospitals," said Gov. DeWine. "There will be certain safety measures in place to protect patients and staff, such as mask requirements, hand hygiene protocols, and time limits."

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The decision, Gov. DeWine says, is in-line with other recent developments with visitor policies around the state. 

DeWine urged also Ohioans who have a family member or friend in a hospital or long-term facility to check for updated regulations, as many facilities around the state have begun to pull back on heavy-restrictions. 

Gov. DeWine also announced that admission to veterans homes around the state has recently re-opened after nearly a year closed. 

"As of today, admissions to our @OhioVets homes in Sandusky and Georgetown have officially resumed. More than 90% of veterans in these two homes accepted the vaccine, and as of right now there are no positive cases at either location," Gov. DeWine said on Twitter. 

DeWine said that during the press conference, the Ohio Veteran Home in Sandusky welcomed a Korean War vet who served in the military, one of the first admissions to a veteran home since the ban was put in place last March.

The Ohio Governor also announced that the state will be working through the current wait-list in the coming weeks. 

You can watch the full press briefing with Gov. DeWine in the player below:

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