Gov. DeWine said he intends on gradually reopening Ohio on May 1

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Gov. Mike DeWine said he intends on beginning to lift restrictions for Ohioans when the current stay-at-home order expires on May 1.

“I am an optimist and am confident that Ohioans will also live up to the challenge of doing things differently as we open back up beginning on May 1,” DeWine suggested during Thursday’s regular press conference.

“We must get this right because the stakes are very high,” DeWine stated. “If we don’t do it right, the consequences are horrendous.”

Gov. DeWine has not yet detailed a thorough strategy for opening non-essential businesses, but said he would like to start with health care services so residents can get caught up on medical procedures.

Other businesses that have the ability to keep workers and visitors safe would be next in line to begin opening, DeWine said. He was not ready to make an announcement regarding schools, which are currently closed into May.

“The world that we’re going to see is a different world,” DeWine added saying masks, social distancing, and regular sanitizers will be common until an immunization is developed.

The Governor cited one plan to keep employees and customers safe at one Ohio company during Thursday’s press conference, which included regular health screenings on the job.

As far as allowing larger public events in the near future, such as concerts and county fairs, Gov. DeWine said they will be much more problematic.

The Governor’s Board of Economic Advisers, consisting of managers of large and small companies across the state, have been tasked with formulating a preliminary set of recommendations for Ohio.

Watch the Governor’s full press conference:

Copyright 2020 WOIO. All rights reserved.