Columbus officials set earlier closings for bars, restaurants; recommend against in-person learning

The Columbus City Council planned to vote Monday evening to close bars, nightclubs and restaurants at 10 p.m. starting Tuesday, rather than 11 p.m., because of the spike in coronavirus cases in the city.

“Our situation is dire,” Mayor Andrew J. Ginther said in a Monday morning news conference.

The decision was made after local officials met with Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. She met with Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Gov. Mike DeWine and other officials.

Birx was concerned that Columbus and 10 other cities might become the next COVID-19 hot spots.

Ginther and Roberts on Friday had sent legislation to Columbus City Council to close bars, clubs and restaurants at 11 p.m. because of the spike in cases. With the amended legislation, carryout service can remain open after 10 p.m.

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John Barker, president and CEO of the Ohio Restaurant Association, said his organization has received about 100 calls from concerned business owners in Columbus.

His group wants the city to pause on this until restaurant owners and representatives can meet with city officials to discus best practices and other options.

Barker said his group talked to Roberts on Wednesday and asked for contact tracing information that implicates restaurants. “We’re not seeing that either,” he said.

Milestone 229 Downtown has been open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Manager Keegan McCluskey said he would like to stay open until 11 for more business.

“But as a restaurant, we’re not going to get crushed on it,” he said. “I know bars are going to get crushed on it.”

Tom Maher, the owner and manager of the High Beck Tavern, 564 S. High St., called it “another little dagger.” Business is only half of what it used to be anyway since the pandemic hit, he said.

“We’re just a bar that does late-night business,” said Maher, adding that many of those customers are restaurant workers who head to the High Beck after leaving work.

Susan Gall, the owner of the Hey Hey Bar & Grill at 361 E. Whittier St. on the South Side, said it’s not fair to close everyone down at the same time.

Gall said the city should sent inspectors out to see which establishments aren’t complying with COVID-19 requirements.

She said she does most of her business from 10 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. “I bought a license that says I can stay open until 2:30 in the morning,” she said.

Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin said he understands the economic pain this will cause, but the first responsibility of council members is the health and safety of the community.

Columbus Public Health will enforce the new order on bars, clubs and restaurants. The first violation will result in a warning. A second violation means a $500 fine. Subsequent violations mean $1,000 fines. Repeat violations may result in injunctions to close establishments.

During Monday’s news conference, Roberts also said she has recommended that Columbus City Schools classrooms stay closed to in-person learning until there are four consecutive weeks of downward trends in cases.

When classes restart on Sept. 8, the plan for now is for Columbus students in grades K-8 to go to class two days a week and learn from home three days a week for at least the first half of 2020-21. Meanwhile, high schoolers would learn completely online.

But Superintendent Talisa Dixon said on July 19 that the upswing in cases here was making her think that all students should take classes remotely when school starts.

Cases have been spiking here because of community spread, Roberts said, and calls to stay home, wear masks, and stay 6 feet apart are not enough.

As of Monday there have been 12,511 confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus in Columbus and 388 deaths. On July 11, there were 280 new cases, a one-day high.

From June 1 through mid-July there was a 220% increase in cases, she said.

And they are disproportionately affecting the Black community. Blacks make up 29% of the city’s population but 31% of the cases. Columbus Public Health has tested 6,687 people since June 9.

As of Monday, Franklin County still lead the state in the number of coronavirus cases with 15,862, and deaths related to the virus with 494.

Roberts said the highest incidence of new cases are people 20-29 years old. She stressed that people should not gather in large crowds, even for private events. That should be 10 or less, she said.

In June, Ginther said the city would begin issuing permits for neighborhood block parties of up to 100 people. But Roberts said Monday that the city is considering putting those on hold after she spoke with recreation and parks officials about restricting them.

On Monday, the Ohio Department of Health reported another 1,104 had tested positive for coronavirus statewide, bringing the total of confirmed and probable cases to 85,177.

The state also reported another 37 deaths, bringing the total number related to COVID-19 to 3,344. The number of hospitalizations grew by 86, to 10,285.

The number of Ohio coronavirus cases has increased 64% this month since July 1. The state is averaging 1,237 new and confirmed cases each day in July as compared to 542 a day in June. At more than 33,000, 39% of all the virus cases recorded since the pandemic began in Ohio on March 9 have occurred this month.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik