Is my business essential? Slagle says it may take a case-by-case analysis

Upon the issuance of Governor DeWine’s stay at home order, many businesses find themselves questioning their statuses as essential or nonessential businesses. While some operations, including health care childcare and grocery retail, are unquestionably deemed necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, others, such as landscaping, laundry services and construction, are less black-and-white.

In an Ohio Manufacturers Association (OMA) conference call alongside Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Bricker attorney Chris Slagle advised that operations must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. According to The Columbus Dispatch, Slagle says that it’s key that businesses are “making a reasonable or good faith interpretation of the order” to prepare for “when and if a conversation needs to take place at the local level with an individual from the county health department.”