DeWine: Ohio will require people in 7 counties to wear masks in public; Franklin County included

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state will require people in seven Ohio counties wear masks while in public, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday.

The Ohio Department of Health will issue an order, effective 6 p.m. Wednesday, that will mandate the wearing of face coverings in public in all counties designated "Red Level 3 Public Health Emergency" in the state's alert system used to identify high-risk counties for COVID-19.

Masks will be mandatory in the following counties:

• Butler 
• Cuyahoga 
• Franklin 
• Hamilton 
• Huron 
• Montgomery 
• Trumbull

DeWine says the order will stay in effect as long as the counties are in a red level or if they increase to the "Purple Alert Level 4." 

With the mask mandates, people will need to wear a mask: 

• When they are in any indoor location that is not a residence
• When they are outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not members of their household 
• When they are waiting for, riding, driving or operating public transportation, a taxi, a private care service, or a ride-sharing vehicle

This order does not apply to children under the age of 10.

DeWine unveiled a new system last week for measuring the dangers of the coronavirus in the state of Ohio, meant to identify hot spots for the disease by county. 

On a scale of Level 1 to Level 4, Franklin County is at a Level 3 meaning it displays "very high" exposure and spread and people should limit activities as much as possible.

RELATED: VERIFY: Requirement to wear a face mask does not violate constitutional rights

RELATED: LIST: Ohio cities, other states requiring people to wear masks in public

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For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.