DeWine says masks are important -- but he won't make them mandatory

Gov. Mike DeWine repeatedly reiterated the importance of wearing masks to stop the spread of COVID-19 -- but also repeatedly noted that he has no plans to make them mandatory. In his regular coronavirus briefing Thursday, DeWine and Richard Lofgren, president and CEO of UC Health in Cincinnati discussed the overall increase in coronavirus diagnoses, which both said was attributable to an increase in infection and not an increase in testing. DeWine noted that more than half of the increase in cases is from people in the age range of 20-49, while data shows that the infection rate of people over the age of 65 -- previously identified as the highest-risk age group -- have steadily declined. The average age of infection in March was 51 years old; now it's 42. The R-0 rate of infection is down below 1 -- that is, one person on average infecting one other person -- throughout most of the state, but in the five-county area of Southwestern Ohio -- and Dearborn County, just over the state line in Indiana -- the R-0 rate is over one an in some instances approaching two. Lofgren said the best course of action for the general public is to heed the guidelines originally set forth: Wash hands frequently, maintain distances of at least six feet between other people and most importantly, wear a mask. DeWine said if 80 percent of people wear masks, the spread of the virus will drop precipitously. "Scientific data is absolutely irrefutable," DeWine said. "Everybody needs to wear a mask out in public. We continue to urge Ohioans to do this. It's the right thing to do and the courteous thing to do." But masks, while mandatory for most workers who face the general public, aren't required in general. In April, prior to businesses reopening across the state, DeWine said masks would be mandatory, but walked that back after some pushback. DeWine previously said he would not order Vice President Mike Pence to wear a mask on his visit to Lordstown today. (Pence did not, in fact, wear one.) Masks are not required on the floor of the Ohio General Assembly, and many Republicans have made a statement by not wearing them. And DeWine said he won't force them to. "This is a separate arm of government," he said. "I do not plan to tell them what to do. I'm not going to tell the Speaker of the House what to do. I'm not going to tell the Senate President what to do."