DeWine used the Wednesday evening address to beg people to wear masks in public and keep their distance from others, warning that failure to do so could put Ohio on the same path that Arizona, Florida and other states are seeing now.
#Ohio has reached the most critical point in the battle against #COVID19. If we don’t take immediate action to slow this virus down, the tragedies we’re seeing in FL, TX, AZ, and CA may be #Ohio’s reality in just a matter of weeks. This nightmare does not have to be our future. pic.twitter.com/fVNoQEr2HP
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 15, 2020
Groups including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Mayors Alliance and the Ohio Business Roundtable applauded and amplified DeWine’s plea for Ohioans to wear masks.
We’re joining @GovMikeDeWine and asking you to put #MasksOnOhio. Together we can fight the virus and keep our economy moving. #InThisTogetherOhio #AllforOhio pic.twitter.com/0as620U0Jt
— Ohio Chamber (@OhioChamber) July 15, 2020
Other Ohioans criticized DeWine for failing to take more forceful action.
We’re past “asking.”
— David Pepper (@DavidPepper) July 15, 2020
Those who are going to wear masks voluntarily are wearing them, Governor.
Another presser that could have been an email.
— Darth Pooka✊✌ (@darthpooka) July 15, 2020
I swear Papaw DeWine was 2 minutes from promising us ice cream if we are all good and wear a mask.#Spineless pic.twitter.com/WtQzhBFLlk
More than 500 people commented on the Dayton Daily News article about the speech posted to Facebook.
“Ohio is sliding. We’re sliding down a very dangerous path. With our once flattened curve starting to sharpen and to spike."
Posted by Dayton Daily News on Wednesday, July 15, 2020
“Masks don’t work. Even the box says will not protect from covid. When will the sheep listen to reason. People need to look at the numbers. This so called pandemic is not even as bad as the flu. Unless we are going to shut down the country every fall shutting down does not work. This is about control, nothing more,” said Charles Lange, one of 570 posts on the Dayton Daily News Facebook page about DeWine’s speech.
“Wearing a mask is common sense and common courtesy. If wearing a mask in public is the hardest thing you do in a day consider yourself extraordinarily lucky,” said Steve Millard on the page.
Michelle Kelly-Flanagan said, “He has failed Ohio — we went from being a national model but look at us now.”
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