Clark County Sheriff: Citizens should not call 911 to find out if they have to go to work

Clark County sheriff Deb Burchett has a message for residents following Gov. Mike DeWine’s order for citizens of Ohio to stay at home as a means of limiting the spread of the coronavirus.

Do not call 911 to find out if you can go to work once the order goes in place at 11:59 on Monday night.

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“That’s very important,” Burchett said. “We need to keep those 911 phone lines open for emergencies and emergencies only. My best advice for them would be we are not going out there targeting people that are on the streets. The sheriff’s office is not going to be out there targeting people. Just use a little bit of common sense, and please, please do not call 911.”

DeWine announced Sunday non-essential businesses will be closed until at least April 6, though that does not prohibit all movement.

>>READ MORE: 5 things Clark, Champaign County residents should know today about the coronavirus impact

Residents are allowed to leave their home for necessary supplies and services (such as grocery shopping), outdoor activity, certain types of work, health and safety issues and to take care of others.

“What I would suggest is for all these companies that has people that's going to be out on the streets to give them some type of paperwork that says, ‘I will be going to work from between these hours in these hours’ just in case they would get stopped,” Burchett said. “The only way we’re going to stop people is if there’s a big congregation of people somewhere. Otherwise we’re not going to be out there targeting. We have a lot more to worry about than to be out there targeting people and stopping them for no reason to see why they’re on the street.”

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