Illinois, Ohio Close All Restaurants and Bars Due to Coronavirus – Governors Apologize to Workers

Illinois and Ohio closed restaurants and bars for several weeks due to the coronavirus panic. The CDC are recommending Americans refra...

Illinois and Ohio closed restaurants and bars for several weeks due to the coronavirus panic.

The CDC are recommending Americans refrain from gatherings with more than 50 people for the next eight weeks.

Governor Mike DeWine made the announcement on Sunday.

Establishments can stay open for carry-out and delivery. What we can't have is people congregating and seated. #COVID19 #COVID19OhioReady pic.twitter.com/3EaBWeeMdr

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 15, 2020

Every day we delay, more people will die.

If we do not act and get some distance between people, our healthcare system in #Ohio will not hold up. The loss won't only be those impacted by #COVID19, but the danger is also to everyone else who needs hospital care for other issues.

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 15, 2020

The Hill reported:

Illinois and Ohio announced on Sunday they would close all restaurants and bars in response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will be issuing an order closing all bars and restaurants in #Ohio beginning at 9:00 tonight,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tweeted while noting that establishments would be allowed to continue carryout and delivery services.

“What we can’t have is people congregating and seated,” he said.

Shortly afterward, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said his state also would order restaurants and bars to close to dine-in customers by the end of Monday. The closures would last from March 16 through March 30, he said.