Ohio bars and restaurants finally got to let customers back inside their businesses Thursday, more than two months after closing to limit the spread of coronavirus.
As restaurants and bars that had been closed since March opened for outdoor dining this weekend, pictures of packed patios from some establishments around the state appeared to show operators and patrons ignoring social distancing protocols. In contrast, some restaurants didn’t open for service at all.
Gov. Mike DeWine says the state will do "whatever we have to do" to enforce social distancing measures if bars and restaurants fail to restrain crowds. His comments came Sunday after pictures of packed Columbus bars went viral on social media.
It wasn’t exactly patio weather in Columbus on Friday afternoon, but that didn’t stop restaurants from opening outdoor dining for the first time under Ohio's new guidelines.
Ohio restaurants have not been able to serve mixed drinks and straight liquor since the state put a stop to in-person dining last month. Now, the state is making a change to its rules that will allow restaurants to serve those drinks along with take-out meals.
Many food establishments are facing tough choices as they approach the third week of Ohio's shutdown of bars and dine-in restaurants. In the Columbus area, some are offering carryout service to keep their business alive, while others are laying off all their employees.
At the South Village Grill, manager Drew DeBoard struggled to decide whether to call Sunday night’s reservations. She seemed a bit shocked that her restaurant was closing.
In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now advising against gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.
Gov. Mike DeWine has closed all the state's bars and dine-in restaurants until further notice, starting at 9 p.m. Sunday. Restaurants will still be allowed to stay open for carry out and delivery.
11:00 Groups in favor of turning Cooper Stadium into a racetrack say the installation of sound barriers will reduce the noise levels around the proposed auto racetrack, but several residents and businesses nearby are concerned. Because of that issue of noise, both sides have commissioned noise studiesâwith conflicting results. We'll talk with a noise compliance expert that conducted one of the independent studies to analyze this situation at Cooper Stadium. Guest:
