Ohio’s Governor Just Ordered All Bars and Restaurants to Close, Starting Sunday Night

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Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio announced that he ordered all bars and restaurants to close in his state, starting at 9 p.m. tonight.

“Every day we delay, more people will die,” said Dewine.

Ohio is among the first states to close bars and restaurants. Many others—amid the dangers of the coronavirus outbreak—have limited social gatherings or canceled school.

DeWine tweeted out a few recommendations to add on: order delivery, get carryout, purchase alcohol at drive-thrus. And said he recognizes that many will be affected. “I’m aware that this will impact many, many good workers,” he said. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, but we will work to mitigate the suffering. It is our goal for everyone to get through this.”

Update, 1:25 p.m. Pacific: Moments later, Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered a similar measure in Illinois, barring dine-in customers at restaurants and closing bars—with the restriction beginning at the end of the business day on Monday.

Update, 2:15 p.m. Pacific: Gov. Gavin Newsom called on all bars, wineries, and brewpubs to close and said there were “more nuanced” directives for restaurants forthcoming, according to reports. On top of that, he called for “the home isolation” of seniors and “all those with chronic conditions”:

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It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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