Listen HereDylan Frazier
@dylanfrazier44
Much like the rest of the world, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has impacted all aspects of life already in Ohio. From school closures to the most recent order closing restaurants dine-in services.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the measure in a news conference Sunday, March 15.
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted encouraged people to continue to use carryout or delivery services from restaurants.
In an email sent to all DoorDash patrons and drivers on March 12, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu announced accommodations to ensure safety.
“Beyond simply monitoring the situation, we are taking active measures to make sure the food that gets delivered to your home is safe and secure. In affected areas, we have begun distributing hand sanitizer and gloves to Dashers,” said Xu.
In addition to gloves and hand sanitizers being a priority for drivers, there will be an option for both drivers and patrons to have the delivery be hands-free. If either one of the two parties agrees to this option, they both must agree on a place to hand off the delivery without interaction. One local driver will opt to use this method of delivery for the foreseeable future.
“I will personally request the ‘no-contact’ feature as stated previously to not only protect myself, but protect the consumer as well,” said Findlay driver, Garet Baldridge. “Even with no direct contact with the consumer, I am still going to use gloves, hand sanitizer, and a face mask.”
In addition to Gov. DeWine’s mandatory closures, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has requested that all Americans limit themselves to crowd sizes no larger than 50 people for at least the next eight weeks. Baldridge sees this as an opportunity to make a little extra but still maintains the idea of being safe is more important than making money.
“If the opportunity strikes, I will take more delivery requests, but I will take precaution before doing any delivery,” said Baldridge. “Healthiness as a delivery driver in general is most important than anything else.”
Hotel service is not immune to the Coronavirus either, especially with people traveling from possibly infected areas. One Hampton Inn employee in Findlay thinks the company is handling it fairly well, but company officials are taking additional measures to keep up with the virus.
“They have ordered more gloves and disinfectant products and have made the staff aware [of the plan],” said Hampton employee, Jasper Hankins. “They’ve communicated [everything] on our Facebook group and have let others know about the situation. We have been in constant contact with each other [so we all stay informed].”
Hankins does say that the Hampton Inn where he works cannot close due to its designation as an emergency location for things like tornados or blizzards, however, management is cutting back on the number of rooms available. This has Hankins worried about a steady income.
“I have been looking for other jobs and applying where I can because they have to cut hours down because of the virus,” said Hankins. “I am cross-trained on [the] front desk and [with] housekeeping, but they are cutting down housekeeping hours and no one in any position is allowed to go over whatsoever.”
DeWine cited concern about the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday for the latest decision for bars and restaurants.
Resources for those looking for more information about COVID-19 in Ohio and how to prepare can log on to https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/.
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