Government & Politics

Many Ohio Businesses Won't Likely Require Masks to Deal With Delta Strain of COVID

The Statehouse News Bureau | By Jo Ingles

Published July 28, 2021 at 8:51 PM EDT

homemade face masks — Despite updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding wearing face masks, Ohio's government says it's not going to require them at this time. And according to the Ohio Restaurant Association, businesses in Ohio aren't likely to do so either without a state mandate.

Now that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention has advised all Americans, vaccinated or not, to wear masks indoors to prevent spread of the highly-contagious Delta variant, what will Ohio businesses and government do?

In a written statement, the Ohio Department of Health reiterated Gov. Mike DeWine’s earlier comment that there isn't an appetite for another mask mandate right now, regardless of the new CDC guidance. The Ohio Statehouse says it won’t order masks unless the governor or health department mandates it. Ohio businesses could put a mask requirement in place but John Barker with the Ohio Restaurant Association says many won’t, minus a government order.

“It’s very difficult to police this, Jo. In restaurants, you have people who are trying to serve food, seat tables, clean plates and things like that. It’s very hard to also be the police on these kinds of things," Barker said.

But some public school districts are telling teachers and students they must wear masks during this upcoming school year. And some local health officials are urging more to do it.