Published Article

Personal View: Vague definition of ‘essential businesses’ leads to confusion

April 26, 2020

Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) ordered all nonessential businesses to cease operating through May 1; however, ODH did not specifically define an “essential business,” short of a nonexhaustive list of 25 categories of businesses that may be deemed essential.

The ambiguity in the ODH order, coupled with inconsistent enforcement by state agencies, has left many businesses navigating a confusing patchwork of rules and regulations to determine whether they fit the definition of an essential business.

Read more from Jim Sandy (Ohio) in the opinion column he penned for Crain’s Cleveland Business: “Personal View: Vague definition of ‘essential businesses’ leads to confusion.”