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 outbreak. 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:

CASES

As of Monday, there were 50 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Ohio, including 14 hospitalizations. There have been no reported deaths in the state. Drive-up testing offered by hospitals was available Tuesday in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton, among other cities.

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.

___

ELECTIONS

Late Monday, Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton ordered polls not to open 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. The plan is to delay an in-person election until June.

___

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

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

___

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. Restaurants are among the hardest-hit businesses because of restrictions on dining in. 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. Ohio’s investor-owned utilities suspended disconnections for customers with past-due bills.

___

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.

___

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.

___

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.