BUCYRUS — Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, M.D., MPH announced Thursday the ODH Stay at Home Order that was put into place March 23 will now continue until at least May 1.
The extended order prohibits gatherings of any size and residents must stay home unless they are doing essential business such as going to work as an essential worker, getting groceries or medication or going for a walk.
Local law enforcement is doing their part in keeping groups of people apart.
“If we see a group of people, we will stop them and have them disband,” Bucyrus Police Chief Dave Koepke said.
Galion Police Chief Brian Saterfield said his officers will do the same and both say this includes groups of kids.
“That includes people playing basketball, playing on playground equipment, and the health department is now including tennis in the order,” Saterfield said.
Crestline Police Chief Jeff Shook said that in all the correspondence he has had with state officials and from among local chiefs and the sheriff’s office in Crawford county, all law enforcement is to cautiously approach all perceived violations of the Stay at Home Order.
“We are instructed to be vigilant with the order but to handle enforcement as a last chance option,” Shook said. “We have not seen a need to actively break up ‘quarantine’ parties or have encountered groups of people that required police intervention. People have generally heeded to the warnings put out by the President and governor and for that we are grateful.”
The Bucyrus Police Department arrested two individuals last week for violating the stay at home order and possession of drugs.
“Unless you are committing another crime, we are generally telling people they must follow the stay at home order and send them on their way home,” Koepke said. “In some cases, we will be forwarding a report to the prosecutor’s office for possible charges in the future.”
There have been multiple reports of kids playing on playground equipment, which is forbidden under the stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus’ ability to live several days on metal objects.
“We tell the kids they can’t play on the equipment and inform their parents of the issue,” Koepke said.
Shook said his department has not received any complaints of people violating the stay at home order and his officers are generally only responding to calls that require face-to-face police interaction.
“This past weekend, we did cite two individuals for violating the health department order,” Shook said. “That was in response to an OVI (operating a vehicle under the influence), where the defendant and passenger were dealt with earlier in the day by a neighboring police agency.”
All three chiefs said their officers are routinely responding to calls while maintaining the recommended social distance of six feet when possible. Arrests are still being made and in cases such as domestic violence, people are being processed into the Crawford County Justice Center.
The Stay at Home order can be viewed here.