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Ohio's Revised Health Orders: Take Up To 30% Of Fans Out To The Ball Game

By Jo Ingles

Published March 2, 2021 at 7:57 PM EST

Ohio teams can have up to 30 percent capacity at games played at outdoor venues. [Gayle S. Putrich / ideastream] — Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, baseball team, illuminated with pyrotechnics for a post-game concert and fireworks show in July 2019.

Two new health orders signed Tuesday by Gov. Mike DeWine relax COVID-19 rules for Ohio professional and youth sports as well as wedding and entertainment venues.

The orders became effective at 12:01 p.m. Tuesday, March 2.

Banquet halls no longer have a 300-person limit — as long as those attending the weddings, proms, wakes and parties there wear face coverings and the facilities adhere to other previous health orders.

Youth, collegiate, club and professional sports can have spectators again. Indoor sporting venues can operate at 25 percent seating capacity. Outdoors, it’s up to 30 percent seating capacity. The same rules apply to indoor and outdoor entertainment venues.

The amendments to previous health orders also say indoor sports and entertainment venues "are expected to employ filtration of MERV 13 or higher at soon as practicably possible." MERV, which stands for “minimum efficiency reporting value,” is a series of filters rated from one to 16; the higher the number, the more particles the commercial air filtration system can catch.