With a “stay safe order” rather than a stay-at-home order, Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio has “reached a new stage.”

The order — signed late Thursday by Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio Department of Health director, and taking effect Friday — loosens some restrictions in line with the state gradually reopening Friday.

It took effect Friday — the same day that Mahoning and Trumbull counties reported large increases in reported cases.

The new Stay Safe Ohio Order expires 11:59 p.m. May 29.

But DeWine said “don’t read too much into that date. We will be issuing new orders throughout the month. No one should be too fixated on the date.”

The stay-at-home order expired at 11:59 p.m. Friday. It had numerous exceptions for workers deemed essential allowing them to leave their homes for jobs as well as for people to be outside to get groceries, gas, medical care, prescriptions and other necessities and to take walks, among other things.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said the “change in verbiage was intentional. It’s a transition to the next phase of how we’re going to live our lives.”

He acknowledged he doesn’t “expect all Ohioans will do the right things because the order says so. We had to set standards to protect the vulnerable.”

The new policy reads that people must “stay at home or at their place of residence except as allowed in this order,” and it requires “social distancing of at least six feet from any other person with the exception of family or household members.”

Less restrictions are in place, DeWine said, with the state reopening nonemergency health procedures at hospitals that don’t require overnight stays and allowing dentist and veterinarian offices to open Friday; manufacturing, distribution, construction and general offices opening Monday; and consumer, retail and some service businesses allowed to open May 12.

The new order also allowed retail stores, starting at 11:59 p.m. Friday, to offer curbside pickup or delivery as well as restrict operations to 10 customers at a time on an appointment-only basis.

“People can go shopping if they call and make an appointment in places like a jewelry store,” DeWine said. On May 12, “they’ll be able to go to any store that is open. It’s coming. We have best practices, and we believe every store that will open will be following the best practices.”

Restaurants still are not allowed to offer dine-in eating and businesses such as bars, daycares, hair and nail salons, entertainment and sports venues, adult daycare, libraries and gyms are not permitted to reopen. Also, groups of more than 10 can’t congregate, and K-12 school buildings are closed for the rest of the school year.

Advisory groups for several businesses are working to get them reopened, DeWine said. While no dates have been determined as of Friday, he said he expects to have an announcement next week on reopening restaurants and hair salons.

“The goal is to put people who work in these sectors together to determine the best way to reopen,” DeWine said.

The governor added, “I know some of you think we’re not moving fast enough. Some think we’re going too fast. We’re trying to get it right.”

COVID-19 DATA

On Friday, the state exceeded 1,000 reported COVID-19 fatalities with 1,002 — up from 975 Thursday.

Two COVID-19 deaths were reported Friday in Mahoning County.

No new deaths were reported Friday in Trumbull or Columbiana counties.

As of Friday, Mahoning had 82 deaths. There remained 31 fatalities in Trumbull and 24 in Columbiana counties. That’s a total of 137 COVID-19 deaths in the three counties as of Friday.

Ohio confimed 18,743 cases of the virus Friday, up from 18,027 Thursday.

Statewide, 3,634 people were hospitalized as of Friday because of the virus, up from 3,533 Thursday.

There were 1,056 people in intensive-care units, up from 1,035 Thursday.

Mahoning County recorded 859 cases and 245 hospitalizations Friday, up from 828 and 243, respectively, Thursday. The 31 additional cases Friday was the largest daily increase in Mahoning since last Saturday’s jump of 39 cases from the prior day.

Mahoning continues to have the seventh-most cases and the fifth-most hospitalizations in the state — unchanged since April 24.

There were 324 cases and 140 hospitalizations in Trumbull County on Friday, up from 308 and 138, respectively, Thursday. The 16 additional cases Friday was the biggest daily increase for Trumbull since April 8 when it posted a 19-case increase.

Trumbull continues to have the 11th-most cases and seventh-most hospitalizations in Ohio — unchanged since April 23.

Columbiana County had 267 cases and 101 hospitalizations Friday, up from 253 and 98 a day earlier. Columbiana still has the 14th-most cases and eighth-most hospitalizations in the state. That hasn’t changed since Sunday.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com