Ohio Craft Brewers Association releases statement in wake of Gov. DeWine’s threat to shutdown bars, restaurants

By Avery Williams | November 14, 2020 at 5:41 PM EST - Updated November 14 at 5:41 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Ohio Craft Brewers Association released a statement Friday in response to Gov. Mike DeWine’s Wednesday warning that bars and restaurants could close if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Ohio.

If the current trend continues and cases keep increasing, we will be forced to close restaurants, bars, and fitness centers. We will look at this one week from tomorrow.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) November 11, 2020

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association’s statement claims craft breweries often imposed COVID-19 safety regulations beyond the governor’s order.

A second shutdown could dismantle Ohio’s craft brewery industry, according to the statement.

“Under current conditions, 37% of Ohio breweries report that they are likely to be forced to shut their doors within a year. A second shutdown would surely accelerate the permanent closure of those businesses and could place up to two-thirds of Ohio’s 359 breweries in peril. Ohio breweries employed more than 8,000 people before the pandemic, many of whom were furloughed during the first closure and able to be brought back to work with funding from the federal Payroll Protection Program. With Congress unlikely to provide additional stimulus or relief funds in the near future, a second shutdown would result in another massive spike in unemployment and no mechanism to support those workers."

Ohio Craft Brewers Association statement

Read the full statement here.