COLUMBUS (WCMH) — On Thursday, daycare facilities that were approved for pandemic child care opened.

Earlier this week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered all centers to obtain and operate a temporary pandemic childcare license if they wished to remain open during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services approved more than 2,300 licenses statewide. More than 300 of those are for facilities in Franklin, Licking and Delaware Counties.

Under DeWine’s order, the daycare centers can only serve children whose parents are considered essential workers. The daycares must keep children in classes of six or fewer.