By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor in chief. Coleman trained for 17 years as a reporter with the Call and Post Newspaper and is an investigative and political reporter with a background in legal and scientific reporting. She is also a former 15-year public school biology teacher.
COLUMBUS, Ohio-As the coronavirus pandemic surges in Ohio and nationwide, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has issued a 10 pm- 5 am late night state curfew, effective beginning Thursday, Nov. 19 and continuing for at least 21 days. (Editor's note: Gov DeWine is expected to introduce more coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday. Stay tuned).
Ohio has reported 305,000 confirmed cases and 5,742 deaths in the last eight and half months.
“We believe this will help reduce COVID-19 spread,” said DeWine, a Republican and former U.S. senator and state attorney general. “I'm also asking each Ohioan every day to do at least one thing that reduces your contact with others."
DeWine said that "at 10 pm retail establishments should be closed and people should be at home."
The governor's emergency order comes at a time when bars and late night restaurants have become a problem in fighting the coronavirus and liquor sales have increased in Ohio and nationwide relative to the outbreak, which hit the U.S. in March.
Violating the curfew order could lead to a second degree misdemeanor.
Businesses across the state that are losing money in droves behind the pandemic have been asked to cooperate as protesters expressed opposition to the curfew during a picket today at the Statehouse.
Exceptions to the curfew include those going to and from work, those in need of medical care, getting necessary food, and emergency situations.
Last week the governor reissued the state's mask-wearing mandate.
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson held a press conference Nov. 13 as Cleveland, like the U.S., has broken a coronavirus record, the U.S. on Wednesday reporting nine consecutive days of more than 1,000 deaths from the pandemic.
Jackson announced Wednesday that the largely Black city of Cleveland reported 194 new cases in a single day, up from a previous daily record of 115 cases.
Some 153 Clevelanders have died from the virus, most of them elderly and over 70-years-old
The U.S. also broke a world record last week with over 144,000 new confirmed cases
The deadly virus for which there is no vaccine has spread to all 50 states and Washington, D.C. and the nation has nearly 11.4 million reported cases and some 244,000 people dead since early March, worldwide figures showing that there are 55 million cases globally and roughly 1.3 million deaths.
And more than 40 million Americans are out of work due to the crippling pandemic.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
