Liquor sales banned in Ohio beyond 10 pm by the Ohio Liquor Control Commission and per a proposal by Governor DeWine in response to the coronavirus pandemic....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who proposed a rule  adopted by the Ohio Liquor Control Commission requiring that liquor sales end in Ohio by 10:pm nightly, a rule which takes effect July 31

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor in chief. Coleman trained for 17 years as a reporter with the Call and Post Newspaper and is an investigative and political reporter with a background in legal and scientific reporting. She is also a former 15-year public school biology teacher.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

COLUMBUS, Ohio- The Ohio Liquor Control Commission, per a rule proposed Thursday by Gov Mike DeWine, is requiring that liquor sales end in Ohio by 10 pm nightly starting today, a posture that restaurants and liquor businesses debated against, but to no avail.

The emergency order does not pertain to over-the- counter liquor stores and beverage shops.

The restrictions come at a time when bars and late night restaurants have become a problem in fighting the coronavirus and liquor sales have increased in Ohio and nationwide relative to the outbreak, which hit the U.S. in March.

According to data from the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control, more than 1,450,000 gallons of liquor were sold in March alone, a 26% increase from February.

On the national level, and according to market research by the Nielsen firm, liquor sales are up more than 55% across the country and beer has seen at least a 66% jump, wine sales increasing by more than 42 percent in comparison to this time last year. 

Earlier this year the governor issued an order temporarily prohibiting the sale of alcohol in six of Ohio's 88 counties to out-of state buyers and only to in-state buyers who display a valid Ohio driver's license, aggressive action taken in response to the coronavirus outbreak and an influx of buyers from Pennsylvania to Ohio, both states with a stay-at-home order at the time.

The impacted counties were Columbiana, Jefferson, Belmont, Trumbull, Mahoning and Astabula, all which border Pennsylvania.

DeWine said then that, "those who are coming in to buy liquor are creating a health hazard and that’s something we have to take action on."

Ohio has reported more than 89,000 confirmed cases and 3,443 deaths as the nation faces a re-spiking of the virus.

The deadly virus for which there is no vaccine has spread to all 50 states and Washington, D.C. and the nation has nearly 4.6 million reported cases and some 155,000 people dead,  worldwide figures showing that there are 17.3 million cases globally and roughly 674,000 deaths.

And more than 40 million Americans are out of work due to the crippling pandemic.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.