Abortion in Ohio will continue, despite Attorney General order to stop

Clinics that provide abortion services in Ohio will continue to provide the procedure, despite an order from the state's Attorney General's office
ordering them to stop. In Ohio — a state that has been on the forefront of abortion restrictions and regulations — a debate has emerged over whether the procedure is "essential" and allowed to continue during a government clampdown on medical services because of theCOVID-19 outbreak.

On Wednesday, the Ohio Department of Health ordered all "non-essential and elective surgeries" be temporarily suspended to preserve protective gear for health care workers. Though the directive made no mention of abortion services, by Friday, the state's Attorney General's office had sent letters to two of Ohio's six clinics that provide surgical abortions, ordering them to "immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions."