Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says the state continues to see a concerning spike in cases of COVID-19. The governor says people must take social distancing seriously and wear masks before things get worse.
The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise at a rate the governor calls "worrisome," along with new increases in hospitalizations.
The Ohio Department of Health is now reporting 51,046 total COVID-19 cases, confirmed and probable, in the state. That's an increase of 737 new cases on Monday. The current 21-day average for a daily increase is cases is now at 581. That daily average increase was at 494 last week.
With a spike in new cases in states across the country, DeWine is urging Ohioans to wear masks and observe social distancing.
However, he stopped short of making masks in public mandatory.
"We control our future. We do not want our future to be what we're seeing in Texas. We do not want our future to be what we're seeing in Florida. We can control it. We determine what this thing is going to look like in two or three weeks by what we do today," DeWine says.
The governor says the state could return to stronger public health orders, such as business closures, as a last resort if things get worse.
DeWine also announced that the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people, aside from certain sectors, will be extended through the end of the week. The previous order was set to expire on July 1.
