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Coronavirus In Ohio: DeWine Tells School To Prepare For Anything This Fall

Evening building supervisor Randy Allen sweeps the hallways at Orange High School, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Pepper Pike.
Tony Dejak
/
AP
Evening building supervisor Randy Allen sweeps the hallways at Orange High School, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Pepper Pike, Ohio.

Gov. Mike DeWine says he’s telling schools to prepare for anything, including the possibility of not opening their doors at all next month.

  

Case numbers are above where they were when schools were closed in March, and many school districts haven’t even unveiled their final plans to open in August.

With that, and a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people still in place, DeWine was asked on ideastream's "The Sound of Ideas"why the state doesn’t just order schools to stay closed.

“We may end up there," DeWine said. "What we’ve told the schools all summer to do is to prepare for different alternatives."

DeWine notes that the American Academy of Pediatricshas said kids should be in school if they can open safely, and says he’s concerned about households without internet access. However, he admits he’s worried about the health of teachers and staff.

While schools are under local control, state has ordered school employees to wear masks and has strongly recommended students over third grade wear them too.