"We still can do what we want to do, but just in a slightly different style," Dr. Joseph Khabbaza of the Cleveland Clinic said, "...with a mask, frequently handwashing, more spacing and less indoor eating."

The Cleveland Clinic said Ohioans need to remember the basic COVID-19 safety guidelines when assessing social gatherings this summer.

"There's just going to be a lot more coronavirus out in the community," Khabbaza said. "The virus isn't going away anytime soon based on the trends we're seeing."

He said some safety tips for outdoor gatherings/cookouts are:

- Assign one person to distribute food

- Keep number of people in vicinity low, limit to immediate family members if possible

- Keep beverages in individual containers

- Have hand sanitizer nearby for guests

- Stay 6 feet apart from all people 


"That's going to minimize the amount of droplets that potentially could be on an item for the next person to pick."

He said understanding the way the virus spreads through droplets on surfaces or through the respiratory system will help you make choices.

"Understanding that at the core can really help you a lot when you are traveling or deciding which events to take part in," he said.

He said there's still research to be done until experts know how the virus reacts in warmer weather, but in warmer states, they're having trouble containing the virus. 

"As I talk to physician friends of mine in Arizona and Texas where their hospitals and ICUS are really at or near capacity..." he said. "To really undo the work Ohio did from the very beginning starting in mid-March...We were way ahead of a lot of other states."

He said if cases keep rising, people will begin to see more personal effects. 

"If things keep rising, there's a really good chance all of us are going to be personally affected, and I really hope as few people need to find that out," he said.