OHIO — Ohio will officially lift all COVID-19 health mandates on June 2.
Following the CDC's announcement, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Ohio would follow suit, effectively dropping the state's mask mandate and allowing stores to welcome back customers without masks, provided they have waited at least two weeks since they got their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, under the CDC's guidance stores can still choose to require masks for all customers, regardless of vaccination status.
"If a business chooses to require masking for employees and customers, that is permitted under the CDC guidance and our order. If a business chooses not to require masks and leave that choice to customers and employees, that is also in line with the CDC guidance and our order," DeWine said.
These stores have lifted mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers:
Kroger, the grocery giant behind QFC, Fred Meyer's and many other chains, announced Wednesday that it will no longer be requiring masks for fully vaccinated customers or employees beginning Thursday.
Masks are still required in other settings like at hospitals, health care clinics, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, on public transit and in public schools.
Ohio's plan to remove all COVID-19 health orders was spurred by improving COVID-19 vaccination rates. With more than 40 percent of Ohioans vaccinated, DeWine wanted to further drive interest in vaccines. To do so, he launched the Vax-a-Million lottery.
Through that lottery, five vaccinated Ohioans will be randomly selected to win $1 million. Since the program's announcement, vaccination rates have jumped in the Buckeye state.
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