Protestors marched down High Street and gathered outside the Statehouse today during Governor DeWine's afternoon coronavirus briefing.
Wearing masks and waving signs that read "Open Ohio" and "Quarantine Is Worse Than The Virus" the nearly 100 protestors challenged DeWine and state Health Director Doctor Amy Acton's right to shut down businesses during the pandemic and order Ohioans to stay at home. DeWine says he understands the frustration:
Acton says the state needs to make science-based decisions in the battle against the coronavirus, and she compared it to climbing a mountain.
Public orders closing schools and businesses began in mid-March, and the original Stay At Home order was extended to May 1st. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says nearly 700,000 people filed claims for unemployment insurance benefits last week, nearly double the number of claims for all of 2019.