COLUMBUS, Ohio — Last Friday was a major milestone for Ohio, featuring the long-awaited reopening of outdoor dining, salons and barbershops, tattoo, piercing and massage studios. This week continues the reopening process, adding to the growing list as the plan for restarting Ohio's economy continues.
The first reopening date for this week is May 21. On May 21, restaurants can fully reopen to all diners for indoor dining. Currently, restaurants are allowed to serve customers on outdoor patios or through take-out and delivery services.
The full reopening of restaurants comes with guidelines for the health and safety of patrons and staff. Notably, the six feet distance between employees and between individual dining groups remains a mandatory practice, with barriers required when this cannot be met. Additionally, the maximum size of parties remains at ten.
May 21 also marks the reopening of campgrounds and RV parks. Guidelines establish that there may only be one family per campsite with ten people or fewer, social distancing between households and no gathering of groups. Non-registered campers will not be allowed to visit campsites.
On May 22, horse racing will resume without spectators. However, casinos and racinos will remain closed until safety protocols can be established.
All of the above facilities and activities will only take place if the required safety protocols can be met. It is up to the owners of each establishment to decide when they are ready to open, which may be later than the date set by the state.