Even if coronavirus restrictions are lifted and schools are able to open in the fall, it will ultimately come down to the people’s decision on what route they will want to take, as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) says.
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal’s Gerald F. Seib, DeWine noted that it will depend on “how well we do this summer” as to whether or not schools will reopen or continue to be one remotely in the fall.
“What we’re doing right now is going to determine what July/August looks like in Ohio,” he said.
The Ohio governor continued to note that colleges are preparing to open and that he has told K-12 schools to prepare to open.
“Colleges are preparing to open which I think is the right thing,” DeWine said, adding that the schools are being told they “need to come up with sophisticated plans in regard to distancing.”
“Ultimately, all of this, when you talk about the economy, it’s not so much government orders, it’s going to come back to what people want to do. They’re going to make those decisions based on what they think is in their best interest, as they should.”
See DeWine’s comments below:
DeWine predicted that at the end of the month about 95% of the state’s economy will be reopened, as he noted on social media. However, he did note that the “true success” of reopening is dependent on “the individual and collective response.”
“In the end, no order and no law will be as successful as a well-informed public who simply cares and respects each other,” he wrote.
In the end, no order and no law will be as successful as a well-informed public who simply cares and respects each other. #InThisTogetherOhio #StaySafeOhio #ResponsibleRestartOhio
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 19, 2020
DeWine’s remarks come as many other places across the country are slowly reopening their economies while trying to combat the coronavirus pandemic and avoiding a second wave of the virus.
The states currently at the top of the list with the higher numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. include New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, and California. Several other states are also in the tens of thousands for cases.