Lawmaker presses for 'metrics' to end health mandates in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — In a routine budget hearing that grew confrontational this week, a Republican representative got testy with the Ohio Department of Health director over a question on ending pandemic-related health orders.

State health director Stephanie McCloud was presenting her 2022-2023 budget proposal when Rep. Jon Cross (R-Kenton) Asked her about an endpoint to mask and distancing orders — much the same as Ohio’s curfew order, which expired this week due to plummeting COVID hospitalization numbers.

“What are the metrics to remove the mask mandate? What are the metrics to remove the state of emergency?“ Cross asked, after referencing the curfew order in a mildly flippant manner.

 “Thank you for the colorful question,” McCloud replied with a chuckle.

“It’s not colorful. And I’m not laughing,” Cross retorted, before telling the House Finance Committee chair that “what’s out of order is my constituents send me down here to ask very serious questions, and I’m not laughing.”

McCloud apologized and answered Cross’ questions, but notably did not make any further eye contact with the representative.

“I’m not willing to accept the new normal of masks and distancing without end,” Rep. Cross said in an interview Friday. “People are wondering what it’s going to take.”

The governor and health department have not set any measurable standard for ending most health orders, outside of the curfew. On Friday, Ohio’s chief medical officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said in a statement that, “it is too early to declare victory.”

“Until vaccination gets us closer to achieving substantial population immunity we will need to continue our efforts to limit spread of COVID-19 through masking, distancing, and our other safety measures,” Dr. Vanderhoff wrote.

Cross believes that’s not good enough, and says while Ohio doesn’t need to end its orders in a single day — it does need to show its work on when those orders could sunset.

“I’ve been more aggressive and more bold than others in pushing Ohio to get behind a plan,” he said.