City of Worthington issued the following announcement on Feb 16.
Central Ohio Municipalities Discuss Lifting Local Face Covering Requirements
City leaders from Bexley, Whitehall, Worthington and Columbus met on February 16, 2022 with Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts and Franklin County Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola to receive an update on the status of the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Each city currently has local orders in place requiring the wearing of face coverings indoors.
Dr. Roberts reported that both COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations have continued to decline dramatically. If current trends continue, each city expects to consider lifting local face covering requirements in the coming weeks.
Dr. Roberts is scheduled to present a situation update to Worthington City Council at its March 7, 2022 meeting, when Council is expected to discuss next steps for Worthington's current mask requirement. (See more information about the current requirement below.)
“Our collective efforts to control the spread of the virus have worked, and we look forward to lifting mask requirements in the very near future,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “As we move from a pandemic to endemic, there may be times in the future when mask advisories or mandates could become necessary as new variants come to our community. We continue to emphasize that the vaccine and boosters are the best tool we have in the fight against COVID-19 and encourage all who are eligible to get vaccinated.”
“We know that the guidelines and policies that we’ve created during the pandemic have only been as good as the willingness of the community to follow them, and your actions have resulted in lowered rates of infection throughout the pandemic, and have undoubtedly saved lives and enabled programs and services to continue that would have otherwise been disrupted,” said Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler. “We are eager to be in a position where conditions warrant a relaxing of general public space requirements, and as we have in the past we will continue to turn to our public health departments for their recommendations, guidance, and expertise.”
The participating communities also reiterated the separation of roles between cities and school administrators, and expressed support for the critical role played by school districts in maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment.
“We want to thank our superintendents and school leadership, whose carefully considered actions have protected our children throughout the pandemic and enabled in-person classroom learning despite challenging public health conditions,” said Whitehall Mayor Kim Maggard. “As we prepare to adjust restrictions, we continue to support our educational leaders and recognize that classroom restrictions may vary from public space restrictions due to the unique challenges or maintaining a safe and inclusive learning and teaching environment.”
“As face covering requirements for public spaces are lifted by various local governments, businesses, organizations and venues will have the flexibility to determine the appropriate protocols for their facilities,” said Worthington City Manager Matt Greeson. “We appreciate the latest insights from health officials who have helped our communities navigate this challenging pandemic.”
Current Mask Requirement Information
The City of Worthington has had a mask requirement in place since September 2021. The requirement applies to all individuals, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
Worthington City Council passed Ordinance 45-2021 at its September 13, 2021 meeting requiring the wearing of face coverings to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19 and declaring an emergency. The ordinance will be in effect for six months or until it is rescinded. Council will continue to receive monthly situation updates from our health agency, Columbus Public Health, and evaluate current conditions in determining when the requirement might be lifted. Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts informed City Council that she would recommend lifting the requirement if Franklin County had four consecutive weeks in the CDC’s yellow (moderate transmission) category, which is less than 50 new COVID cases per 100,000 persons.
The ordinance requires all people ages three and over within the City of Worthington to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when in indoor areas accessible to the public and when traveling on public transportation. There are exceptions for people who cannot wear face coverings because of medical or mental health conditions, developmental disabilities or other instances based on CDC guidance.
- See the full ordinance with requirements and exceptions here.
- Download and print a sign for your location
If visitors to City buildings do not have a mask, they will be provided one at the front counter at each location.
- Visit the CDC website to see COVID-19 spread and other data
- Find Columbus Public Health resources and updates here
- Find a free COVID-19 vaccine near you
Source: City of Worthington
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