COLUMBUS – A certain number of Ohioans toasted the news from the state Tuesday that the Ohio Liquor Control Commission approved an emergency rule allowing restaurants to sell up to two alcoholic drinks with food order.
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Governor Mike DeWine announced the change during his daily Statehouse news briefing, saying the it had come about after a request from restaurants with liquor permits but who could not serve customers in their bars or dining areas.
“This specific request was, can they, as part of a meal that you get a drink – or, in this case, two drinks – and so the decision was yes,” DeWine said.
Today, the Ohio Liquor Control Commission passed an emergency rule to allow establishments with an existing on-premises liquor permit to sell and deliver alcohol, including high-proof liquor in limited quantity, for off-premises consumption
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) April 7, 2020
The rule change, which is in effect for 120 days, allows establishments with an existing on-premises liquor permit to sell and deliver alcohol, including high-proof liquor, in limited quantity, for off-premises consumption, DeWine said.
Breweries can also now sell beer and wine that are not their own without food purchase, but food purchase is required for the sale of high-proof liquor.
All drinks must be closed and remain closed during transport under Ohio’s open container law and drinks cannot contain more than two ounces of spirituous liquor per container.
Similar rule changes have been enacted in New York and Texas.
The state health department reports there are 4,782 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 81 Ohio counties and 167 deaths. There are 998 cases in central Ohio, according to state and local health agencies, and 18 deaths.
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According to the Ohio Department of Health website, Ohio could experience as many as 10,000 new cases per day at the peak of the coronavirus surge (see illustration) but health director Dr. Amy Acton points out: that’s just a forecast, and she encouraged Ohioans to continue to practice social distancing and other mitigation tactics.
“It is not a science that predicts our outcome; it is our actions that predict our outcome,” she said.,
Acton continues to estimate that the peak will occur sometime between late this month and the middle of May.
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A second COTA driver has tested positive for COVID-19, the transit authority announced Tuesday.
The operator last drove a COTA vehicle March 12 and reported the positive test to
COTA Monday, spokesman Jeff Pullin said.
COTA has instituted an “essential-only” policy for riders in response to the state’s “stay at home” order, is requiring customers to board and depart the rear entrance and is limiting riders to no more than 20 on a bus at any time.
All COTA vehicles are equipped with hand sanitizing dispensers, and are sanitized daily, including areas customers routinely come in contact with, such as handrails, handles, seats, pull cords, windows and doors.
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Three Ohio State athletics families are teaming up to provide much-needed funds to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith and his wife, Sheila, head football coach Ryan Day and his wife, Nina, and head basketball coach Chris Holtmann and his wife, Lori, are joining to donate $35,000 a month between April and August, a total of $175,000, to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
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Columbus Metropolitan Library is offering K-12 students free help with their homework by way of a new live chat feature on its website.