COLUMBUS, Ohio — The statewide curfew has been extended for three weeks until at least Jan. 23, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Wednesday.
The curfew set by the Ohio Department of Health remains in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. past Jan. 2, when it was originally set to expire.
“You can see our numbers are sort of in a flux,” DeWine said, regarding key metrics related to the coronavirus pandemic in Ohio. “They're not going down. And we've got to see what happens in regard to the holidays and if there's an aftermath in regard to the holidays.”
DeWine said earlier this month that he believes the curfew, as well as the mask mandate and enforcement across the state, have helped control the spread of the virus.
The curfew, when initially issued, was considered to be an efficient but less disruptive option to the economy while still mitigating COVID-19 spread enough to have a positive impact on the healthcare system in Ohio, which has been overwhelmed due to the surge in cases.
The governor issued variances for sporting events scheduled to be played during the restricted hours, including the Cleveland Browns Monday Night Football game on Monday, the Columbus Crew MLS championship game, the Bengals Monday Night Football game on Dec. 21, and the anticipation of the University of Cincinnati hosting a conference championship game.
