Child care centers in Northeast Ohio will be permitted to reopen on May 31 with safety precautions in place, Governor Mike DeWine announced on Thursday.
Among the changes child care centers will be undergoing are a reduction in class sizes and daily temperature checks. Any child with a temperature of 100 degrees of above will be sent home. Handwashing will also be encouraged for children and staff members, as will intensified cleaning practices.
With limited data available regarding children and the coronavirus (COVID-19), DeWine acknowledged the need for Ohio to get its child care practices right in order to limit the spread of the virus. DeWine also said that additional changes could come as the state learns more information. The state will be conducting a study to gather information for such practices.
As of Thursday, Ohio has 26,357 confirmed and probable positive coronavirus cases, including 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268 ICU admissions and 1,534 deaths. Dating back to the discovery of the state's first coronavirus case on March 9, DeWine has put a number of measures in place to encourage physical distancing, including the state's first stay-at-home order on March 23.