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Gov. DeWine on crowded bars and restaurants: Renewed enforcement is coming

Crowded bars and restaurants not following social distancing could lose their liquor licenses and may face criminal charges, DeWine said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday criticized restaurants and bars that have reopened and failed to keep social distancing measures in practice and pledged that a large contingent of law enforcement will check crowded establishments for compliance. 

The governor said that reports have come in from all across the state of bars and restaurants not following the guidelines that were "laid down clearly." The majority of bars and restaurants are following the rules, the governor said, but noted it's not acceptable to have overcrowding that threatens to spread coronavirus and contribute to a second COVID-19 spike.

"You cannot have a successful reopening of the economy if we get a surge in the coronavirus," DeWine said. "Distance is absolutely the key thing." 

All restaurants and bars and other similar businesses can reopen as long as all workplace safety measures are met, the governor read directly from the orders that were issued. Businesses and operations are to comply with social distancing, including maintaining six-foot social distancing at all times. Customers must be seated when consuming food and beverages on the premises, DeWine said. 

"What we saw in some bars this weekend - some pictures that made national news - were customers were not following the rules and people running the bars were not taking responsibility," DeWine said. 

Ohio's restaurants and bars were permitted to reopen for outdoor services on May 15 and indoor dining resumes May 22.

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The governor said bar owners that cannot maintain operations should not reopen. If they are open and find they cannot maintain the proper environment, they should close, he said. 

A renewed enforcement effort now will take place, DeWine said, involving a "large contingent of law enforcement and health officials from across state agencies and from our local communities." 

"We will coordinate with them as part of the Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Investigative Unit. They will surge in to conduct safety compliance checks in crowded bars and restaurants. 

"They will issue administrative citations that could result in the revocation of liquor licenses.  Further, we will work with municipal prosecutors to take potential criminal actions against these bad actors," DeWine said. 

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