'Follow Safety Guidelines Or Close,' Ohio Governor Warns Bars

COLUMBUS, OH — Numerous videos and images showing crowded restaurant patios and storefronts were shared this weekend in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine reacted to the photos with a sobering warning on Monday, urging Ohioans and business owners to take health and safety protocols seriously.

"When we look at how restaurants and bars operate, distance is key. We got reports over the weekend that most were doing an amazing job. But, it's clear that we have some outliers — businesses that were not doing what they should do," DeWine said, before rehashing the safety guidelines restaurants and bars must follow. Most notably, he said, customers must be at least 6 feet apart.

The governor said he received numerous reports and saw numerous images of customers at bars packed together. He said bar owners have an obligation to control the environment or close their establishment.

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Law enforcement around the state are being brought together under the banner of the Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Investigative Unit to investigate bars and restaurants around the state. If an establishment violates the state's protocols, a bar or restaurant could lose its liquor license.

"Further, we will work with municipal prosecutors to take potential criminal actions against these bad actors," DeWine said.

Monday's Numbers

Ohio confirmed 531 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday afternoon, the state health department announced. That is down versus the state's 21-day average of 578 new cases daily. Since the start of the outbreak, at least 28,454 Ohioans have contracted the virus.

Over the past 24 hours, at least 32 Ohioans have died due to complication caused by COVID-19. At least 1,657 Ohioans have died because of COVID-19 since the outbreak began.

The state also confirmed 77 new hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 on Monday, and 23 people were admitted to intensive care because of the virus.

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