Advertisement What are essential businesses? Here's what will remain open in Ohio

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a stay-at-home order -- or a shelter-in-place order -- across the state amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.Only essential businesses are permitted to stay open, according to the new order, which can be enforced by health officials and law enforcement. The order goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Monday and will remain in effect until April 6, at which point state officials will reassess.Click here to view the governor's order. So what exactly is an essential business? DeWine said the state will be following Homeland Security guidance. “If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, such as healthcare services and pharmaceutical and food supply, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule,” the latest guidance from the Department of Homeland Security reads. Essential businesses are more than you may think, separated into several different categories. The following is a list of essential businesses from the United States government. HEALTHCARE/PUBLIC HEALTH:Workers providing COVID-19 testing; Workers that perform critical clinical research needed for COVID-19 responseCaregivers (e.g., physicians, dentists, psychologists, mid-level practitioners, nurses and assistants, infection control and quality assurance personnel, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and assistants, social workers, speech pathologists and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and technologists)Hospital and laboratory personnel (including accounting, administrative, admitting and discharge, engineering, epidemiological, source plasma and blood donation, food service, housekeeping, medical records, information technology and operational technology, nutritionists, sanitarians, respiratory therapists, etc.)Workers in other medical facilities (including Ambulatory Health and Surgical, Blood Banks, Clinics, Community Mental Health, Comprehensive Outpatient rehabilitation, End Stage Renal Disease, Health Departments, Home Health care, Hospices, Hospitals, Long Term Care, Organ Pharmacies, Procurement Organizations, Psychiatric Residential, Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers)Manufacturers, technicians, logistics and warehouse operators, and distributors of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical gases, pharmaceuticals, blood and blood products, vaccines, testing materials, laboratory supplies, cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting or sterilization supplies, and tissue and paper towel productsPublic health / community health workers, including those who compile, model, analyze and communicate public health informationBlood and plasma donors and the employees of the organizations that operate and manage related activitiesWorkers that manage health plans, billing, and health information, who cannot practically work remotelyWorkers who conduct community-based public health functions, conducting epidemiologic surveillance, compiling, analyzing and communicating public health information, who cannot practically work remotelyWorkers performing cybersecurity functions at healthcare and public health facilities, who cannot practically work remotelyWorkers conducting research critical to COVID-19 responseWorkers performing security, incident management, and emergency operations functions at or on behalf of healthcare entities including healthcare coalitions, who cannot practically work remotelyWorkers who support food, shelter, and social services, and other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, such as those residing in sheltersPharmacy employees necessary for filling prescriptionsWorkers performing mortuary services, including funeral homes, crematoriums, and cemetery workersWorkers who coordinate with other organizations to ensure the proper recovery, handling, identification, transportation, tracking, storage, and disposal of human remains and personal effects; certify cause of death; and facilitate access to mental/behavioral health services to the family members, responders, and survivors of an incidentLAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRST RESPONDERSPersonnel in emergency management, law enforcement, Emergency Management Systems, fire, and corrections, including front line and managementEmergency Medical Technicians911 call center employeesFusion Center employeesHazardous material responders from government and the private sector.Workers – including contracted vendors -- who maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting law enforcement and emergency service operations.FOOD AND AGRICULTUREWorkers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail that sells food and beverage productsRestaurant carry-out and quick serve food operations - Carry-out and delivery food employeesFood manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food processing (packers, meat processing, cheese plants, milk plants, produce, etc.) facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packagingFarm workers to include those employed in animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domesticallyFarm workers and support service workers to include those who field crops; commodity inspection; fuel ethanol facilities; storage facilities; and other agricultural inputsEmployees and firms supporting food, feed, and beverage distribution, including warehouse workers, vendor-managed inventory controllers and blockchain managersWorkers supporting the sanitation of all food manufacturing processes and operations from wholesale to retailCompany cafeterias - in-plant cafeterias used to feed employeesWorkers in food testing labs in private industries and in institutions of higher educationWorkers essential for assistance programs and government paymentsEmployees of companies engaged in the production of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and other substances used by the food and agriculture industry, including pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, minerals, enrichments, and other agricultural production aidsAnimal agriculture workers to include those employed in veterinary health; manufacturing and distribution of animal medical materials, animal vaccines, animal drugs, feed ingredients, feed, and bedding, etc.; transportation of live animals, animal medical materials; transportation of deceased animals for disposal; raising of animals for food; animal production operations; slaughter and packing plants and associated regulatory and government workforceWorkers who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products, including, but not limited to timber, paper, and other wood productsEmployees engaged in the manufacture and maintenance of equipment and other infrastructure necessary to agricultural production and distributionENERGYElectricity industry:Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, reliability engineers and fleet maintenance techniciansWorkers needed for safe and secure operations at nuclear generationWorkers at generation, transmission and electric blackstart facilitiesWorkers at Reliability Coordinator (RC), Balancing Authorities (BA), and primary and backup Control Centers (CC), including but not limited to independent system operators, regional transmission organizations, and balancing authoritiesMutual assistance personnelIT and OT technology staff – for EMS (Energy Management Systems) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and utility data centers; Cybersecurity engineers; cybersecurity risk managementVegetation management crews and traffic workers who supportEnvironmental remediation/monitoring techniciansInstrumentation, protection, and control techniciansPetroleum workers:Petroleum product storage, pipeline, marine transport, terminals, rail transport, road transportCrude oil storage facilities, pipeline, and marine transportPetroleum refinery facilitiesPetroleum security operations center employees and workers who support emergency response servicesPetroleum operations control rooms/centersPetroleum drilling, extraction, production, processing, refining, terminal operations, transporting, and retail for use as end-use fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturingOnshore and offshore operations for maintenance and emergency responseRetail fuel centers such as gas stations and truck stops, and the distribution systems that support themNatural and propane gas workers:Natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines, including compressor stationsUnderground storage of natural gasNatural gas processing plants, and those that deal with natural gas liquidsLiquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilitiesNatural gas security operations center, natural gas operations dispatch and control rooms/centers natural gas emergency response and customer emergencies, including natural gas leak callsDrilling, production, processing, refining, and transporting natural gas for use as end-use fuels, feedstocks for chemical manufacturing, or use in electricity generationPropane gas dispatch and control rooms and emergency response and customer emergencies, including propane leak callsPropane gas service maintenance and restoration, including call centersProcessing, refining, and transporting natural liquids, including propane gas, for use as end-use fuels or feedstocks for chemical manufacturingPropane gas storage, transmission, and distribution centersWATER AND WASTE WATEREmployees needed to operate and maintain drinking water and wastewater/drainage infrastructure, including:Operational staff at water authoritiesOperational staff at community water systemsOperational staff at wastewater treatment facilitiesWorkers repairing water and wastewater conveyances and performing required sampling or monitoringOperational staff for water distribution and testingOperational staff at wastewater collection facilitiesOperational staff and technical support for SCADA Control systemsChemical disinfectant suppliers for wastewater and personnel protectionWorkers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting water and wastewater operationsTRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICSEmployees supporting or enabling transportation functions, including dispatchers, maintenance and repair technicians, warehouse workers, truck stop and rest area workers, and workers that maintain and inspect infrastructure (including those that require cross-border travel)Employees of firms providing services that enable logistics operations, including cooling, storing, packaging, and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use.Mass transit workersWorkers responsible for operating dispatching passenger, commuter and freight trains and maintaining rail infrastructure and equipmentMaritime transportation workers - port workers, mariners, equipment operatorsTruck drivers who haul hazardous and waste materials to support critical infrastructure, capabilities, functions, and servicesAutomotive repair and maintenance facilitiesManufacturers and distributors (to include service centers and related operations) of packaging materials, pallets, crates, containers, and other supplies needed to support manufacturing, packaging staging and distribution operationsPostal and shipping workers, to include private companiesEmployees who repair and maintain vehicles, aircraft, rail equipment, marine vessels, and the equipment and infrastructure that enables operations that encompass movement of cargo and passengersAir transportation employees, including air traffic controllers, ramp personnel, aviation security, and aviation managementWorkers who support the maintenance and operation of cargo by air transportation, including flight crews, maintenance, airport operations, and other on- and off- airport facilities workersPUBLIC WORKSWorkers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential dams, locks and leveesWorkers who support the operation, inspection, and maintenance of essential public works facilities and operations, including bridges, water and sewer main breaks, fleet maintenance personnel, construction of critical or strategic infrastructure, traffic signal maintenance, emergency location services for buried utilities, maintenance of digital systems infrastructure supporting public works operations, and other emergent issuesWorkers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residencesSupport, such as road and line clearing, to ensure the availability of needed facilities, transportation, energy and communicationsSupport to ensure the effective removal, storage, and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste and hazardous wasteCommunications:Maintenance of communications infrastructure- including privately owned and maintained communication systems- supported by technicians, operators, call-centers, wireline and wireless providers, cable service providers, satellite operations, undersea cable landing stations, Internet Exchange Points, and manufacturers and distributors of communications equipmentWorkers who support radio, television, and media service, including, but not limited to front line news reporters, studio, and technicians for newsgathering and reportingWorkers at Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations, and Network Operations staff, engineers and/or technicians to manage the network or operate facilitiesEngineers, technicians and associated personnel responsible for infrastructure construction and restoration, including contractors for construction and engineering of fiber optic cablesInstallation, maintenance and repair technicians that establish, support or repair service as neededCentral office personnel to maintain and operate central office, data centers, and other network office facilitiesCustomer service and support staff, including managed and professional services as well as remote providers of support to transitioning employees to set up and maintain home offices, who interface with customers to manage or support service environments and security issues, including payroll, billing, fraud, and troubleshootingDispatchers involved with service repair and restorationInformation Technology:Workers who support command centers, including, but not limited to Network Operations Command Center, Broadcast Operations Control Center and Security Operations Command CenterData center operators, including system administrators, HVAC & electrical engineers, security personnel, IT managers, data transfer solutions engineers, software and hardware engineers, and database administratorsClient service centers, field engineers, and other technicians supporting critical infrastructure, as well as manufacturers and supply chain vendors that provide hardware and software, and information technology equipment (to include microelectronics and semiconductors) for critical infrastructureWorkers responding to cyber incidents involving critical infrastructure, including medical facilities, SLTT governments and federal facilities, energy and utilities, and banks and financial institutions, and other critical infrastructure categories and personnelWorkers supporting the provision of essential global, national and local infrastructure for computing services (incl. cloud computing services), business infrastructure, web-based services, and critical manufacturingWorkers supporting communications systems and information technology used by law enforcement, public safety, medical, energy and other critical industriesSupport required for continuity of services, including janitorial/cleaning personnelOTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONSWorkers to ensure continuity of building functionsSecurity staff to maintain building access control and physical security measuresElections personnelFederal, State, and Local, Tribal, and Territorial employees who support Mission Essential Functions and communications networksTrade Officials (FTA negotiators; international data flow administrators)Weather forecastersWorkers that maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting other critical government operationsWorkers at operations centers necessary to maintain other essential functionsWorkers who support necessary credentialing, vetting and licensing operations for transportation workersCustoms workers who are critical to facilitating trade in support of the national emergency response supply chainEducators supporting public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities for purposes of facilitating distance learning or performing other essential functions, if operating under rules for social distancingHotel Workers where hotels are used for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measuresCRITICAL MANUFACTURING Workers necessary for the manufacturing of materials and products needed for medical supply chains, transportation, energy, communications, food and agriculture, chemical manufacturing, nuclear facilities, the operation of dams, water and wastewater treatment, emergency services, and the defense industrial base.HAZARDOUS MATERIALSWorkers at nuclear facilities, workers managing medical waste, workers managing waste from pharmaceuticals and medical material production, and workers at laboratories processing test kitsWorkers who support hazardous materials response and cleanupWorkers who maintain digital systems infrastructure supporting hazardous materials management operationsFINANCIAL SERVICESWorkers who are needed to process and maintain systems for processing financial transactions and services (e.g., payment, clearing, and settlement; wholesale funding; insurance services; and capital markets activities)Workers who are needed to provide consumer access to banking and lending services, including ATMs, and to move currency and payments (e.g., armored cash carriers)Workers who support financial operations, such as those staffing data and security operations centersCHEMICAL Workers supporting the chemical and industrial gas supply chains, including workers at chemical manufacturing plants, workers in laboratories, workers at distribution facilities, workers who transport basic raw chemical materials to the producers of industrial and consumer goods, including hand sanitizers, food and food additives, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and paper products.Workers supporting the safe transportation of chemicals, including those supporting tank truck cleaning facilities and workers who manufacture packaging itemsWorkers supporting the production of protective cleaning and medical solutions, personal protective equipment, and packaging that prevents the contamination of food, water, medicine, among others essential productsWorkers supporting the operation and maintenance of facilities (particularly those with high risk chemicals and/or sites that cannot be shut down) whose work cannot be done remotely and requires the presence of highly trained personnel to ensure safe operations, including plant contract workers who provide inspectionsWorkers who support the production and transportation of chlorine and alkali manufacturing, single-use plastics, and packaging that prevents the contamination or supports the continued manufacture of food, water, medicine, and other essential products, including glass container manufacturingDEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASEWorkers who support the essential services required to meet national security commitments to the federal government and U.S. Military. These individuals, include but are not limited to, aerospace; mechanical and software engineers, manufacturing/production workers; IT support; security staff; security personnel; intelligence support, aircraft and weapon system mechanics and maintainersPersonnel working for companies, and their subcontractors, who perform under contract to the Department of Defense providing materials and services to the Department of Defense, and government-owned/contractor-operated and government-owned/government-operated facilities