Brick-and-mortar retail stores deemed non-essential are scheduled to reopen May 12. But Ohio's newly expanded stay-at-home order is allowing some to start up Saturday, earlier than expected.
The order from Ohio Department of Health director Amy Acton allows retail establishments to offer "curbside pickup, delivery or appointment-only" service beginning May 2. Customers must be limited to 10 at a time.
Gordon Gough with the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants described what that might look like.
“Order online, buy via phone and pick up at the curb," Gough said. "And many times, the consumer pops their trunk and the retailer puts the item in their trunk and hands it to them.”
Come May 12, when those stores reopen their doors again, Gough said they will need to have protocols in place, including social distancing and strict sanitation measures.
Businesses must also require employees to wear face coverings or masks, the order says, unless those coverings are prohibited by law or regulation, in violation of industry standards, not advisable for health reasons, or when the employee works alone in an assigned area.
Establishments can decide whether to require customers to wear masks as well, and refuse service to those that don't comply.
