Things have already changed around here, friends.
With the recent announcement of another Ohioan infected with the coronavirus, and a battery of measures announced by Governor DeWine accompanied by more to come, it is clear that the daily lives of Richland Countians will be impacted for the foreseeable future.
The nature of those impacts, and the resulting changes in the way that we live and work, is just becoming apparent.
As noted in our accompanying story, the Governor shared news of orders restricting nursing home visitation and “mass assemblies.” DeWine shared that the latter would be making official several recommendations which had been shared just a day before, which included:
Athletics: All indoor high school, college, and professional sports competitions should be held without spectators. He asks that events take place only with athletes, parents, sporting officials, and media.
General Large Gatherings: Generally, Governor DeWine recommends that organizers of any events involving a large gathering of individuals in close proximity be canceled or postponed, such as parades.
Religious Institutions: Governor DeWine recommends that all religious institutions consider limiting practices that could spread germs, such as shaking hands or sharing a communal cup of wine during communion. Those in faith-based communities who are high-risk should consider staying home. Faith-based communities should also consider appropriate outreach to those who may not be able to attend regular services.
The details of these restrictions may change as the order is issued.
On Wednesday morning, tweets appeared which indicated that ODNR had cancelled the Malabar Maple Syrup Festival for later this month. Across social media, event organizers have openly speculated whether additional cancellations or postponements would be taking place.
As a service to the community and our readers, 1812Blockhouse will be collecting and sharing those closings and cancellations. For the moment, these will be put in a scrolling news feed on our main page and also on our COVID-19/Coronavirus and North Central Ohio Update page. That feed will be going live on Wednesday evening. Of course, that Update page has links to federal, state, and local resources; news stories; and more.
