Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said that his state was working “to assemble a large contingent of law enforcement and health officials” that will investigate crowded bars and restaurants.
The Republican governor announced the move Monday on Twitter. He had previously said he was considering legal action after photos and videos of crowded bars proliferated on social media over the weekend.
“When we look at how restaurants/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 tweeted.
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When we look at how restaurants/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.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 18, 2020
“We are marshaling all the resources at our disposal to assemble a large contingent of law enforcement and health officials from across state agencies and from our local communities,” he continued. “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,” he added.
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.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 18, 2020
DeWine has received bipartisan praise for his handling of the coronavirus in Ohio. A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 86% of Ohioans approved of how he has been doing, with 14% of residents saying they didn’t like how the governor has been responding to the pandemic.
