“They are clearly not essential,” said Health Commissioner Jeff Cooper of Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County, and will be ordered to shut down for not complying with Ohio’s stay-at-home order.
RELATED: See list of all businesses under investigation
“This is not going to be easy for any of us, but our lives are more important than that. We have to protect our citizens,” Cooper said during a call-in press conference Thursday afternoon providing a daily update on the coronavirus situation.
>> Coronavirus: Complete Coverage
The county health department received hundreds of calls from members of the public and employees with concerns or complaints about businesses. Public Health sent notices March 30 asking those businesses to state why they are essential and how they are complying with social distancing, sanitizing work spaces and allowing employees to work from home as much as possible.
In all, Public Health spoke to 360 businesses, including some in the vicinity to make sure they understood the order, Cooper said.
There are 216 businesses under investigation. However, that does not mean a listed businesses is operating when it is not supposed to or is in violation.
“We have to make sure the review is thorough,” Cooper said.
>> Coronavirus: Acton signs order extending stay at home, essential business order to May 1
Also, Cooper said the stay-at-home order, extended to May 1, is working.
He encouraged people to limit the number of visits to grocery stores, to only send one family member and to try to pick times that are less busy.
About the Author