Election postponed, graduations canceled over virus in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio marked St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday with no parades and no primary election over fears of the coronavirus. Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued an order late Monday shutting down polls Tuesday after a judge refused to stop the election. A look at the latest developments in Ohio:

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CASES

As of Monday, there were 50 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Ohio, including 14 hospitalizations, with patients ranging from ages 14 to 86. There have been no reported deaths in the state.

For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover.

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ELECTIONS

Late Monday, Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ordered polls closed over concerns about the coronavirus, hours before voters were supposed begin casting ballots in the state’s presidential primary. Gov. Mike DeWine said the decision was necessary during an unprecedented health crisis. Secretary of State Frank LaRose directed all 88 Ohio county boards of elections to comply with Dr. Acton’s order, culminating in an in-person election June 2.

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COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Youngstown State University and Capital University in Columbus were among those announcing the cancellation of May commencement ceremonies, saying they couldn’t comply with restrictions severely limiting the size of gatherings.

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JOBS

With numerous businesses ordered temporarily closed, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said it had received 48,640 unemployment insurance benefit applications online in just two days this week, compared to typical filings of a few hundred. The Ohio Restaurant Association says Ohio has about 22,500 food service locations with 585,000 total employees. It urged people to consider takeout and pickup options.

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Multiple St. Patrick’s Day parades were canceled in the past few days, including Tuesday in Columbus, one of the few Ohio cities that holds the parade on the holiday itself.

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RELIGION

Ohio’s Roman Catholic bishops suspended all publicly celebrated Masses through Easter on April 12, extending an earlier suspension of services through Palm Sunday one week earlier.

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The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.