Restaurant industry reflects on expected curfew adjustment

Based on data from the Ohio Department of Health, Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to adjust the statewide curfew from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

According to a Jan. 26 press release from DeWine’s office, DeWine yesterday announced that the plan for the state’s curfew (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) would be contingent upon statewide hospital use. 

According to the release, the Ohio Department of Health recommended the state’s curfew be amended to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. when COVID-related hospital use dropped below 3,500 for seven consecutive days. 

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The Ohio Department of Health’s key metrics on hospitalizations shows that the confirmed daily COVID-19 patient count in Ohio hospitals has been below that threshold for seven days as of today, Jan. 27. Today’s patient count in Ohio hospitals is 2,944. 

Some members of the service industry still think the curfew is putting too much pressure on restaurants and bars. 

Tony Tanner, who owns Cleaver and the Butcher & Grocer in Grandview, said that while he appreciates anything the government is doing to help the service industry, fully re-opening is more important than the ability to be open for an extra hour. 

“I’ll tell you this, it wouldn’t matter if the rate increased over the next five weeks; almost every restaurant in Ohio is compliant with the rules they’re supposed to follow,” he said. “I don’t know where the problem is, and I don’t know who does. If they’re so confident where it is spreading, they should also know where it’s not being spread. My understanding, from everything I’ve read,  is restaurants and bars are not the problem.”

Lindsey Gerhard, bar manager of The Citizens Trust, said the curfew is unfair to bars and restaurants, and that the hour adjustment is just a tease. 

“I’m not saying that every bar is doing a great job, but then police the ones that are causing issues. Make them hold themselves accountable; don’t punish us all,” she said. “For us, it’s everything on the line. We monitor, we do everything, we’re [at] risk, we lose our business, we [lose] our licenses, our livelihood.”

Jack McLaughlin contributed to this story.

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