Social media exploded Friday evening and into Saturday morning as bars and restaurants reopened, some practicing proper social distancing guidelines and others seemingly not.
Photos of large crowds at popular downtown spots like The Blind Pig and Over-the-Rhine's Rosedale sparked controversy in the comments and a reaction from City Hall.
More: Cincinnati is reopening as coronavirus cases rise. The White House says that's a bad idea.
Cincinnati police and the city's health compliance team will be "going out tonight to reach every bar in OTR and the Banks to remind them of the social distancing requirements and let them know that we may cite and take other measures permitted by law to enforce the Governor’s orders," City Council President Chris Seelbach said in an Saturday afternoon post on Facebook.
"To any bar that is not following the state orders, consider yourself warned," Mayor John Cranley said in a Saturday afternoon tweet. "Tonight, enforcement will be enhanced and bars can and will be shut down if necessary to protect the public health."
"I guess we'll see what our numbers look like in a month," former city council candidate Derek Bauman posted on Facebook with a screenshot of a packed rooftop at The Blind Pig.
Facebook user Jessica Stern-Enzi posted on Rosedale OTR's Facebook page, stating the bar "was" one of her favorite neighborhood spots.
"After seeing the photos from last night, I unfortunately won't be returning until you take accountability and show more responsible business practices," the post reads.
The city's 14-day average of COVID-19 cases had only dropped for three consecutive days after hitting a high on Tuesday. That's well short of the 14-day drop in the average that's a benchmark for reopening businesses set by the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The city's COVID-19 case rate is 277 per 100,000 residents, higher than the same rate for Ohio and Hamilton County, an Enquirer analysis of city and state data shows. The city's death rate from COVID-19 is lower than either the county's or the state's, the same analysis shows.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's press secretary Dan Tierney acknowledged such crowds in a Saturday statement: “Those who operate their businesses while disregarding safety guidelines, designed to protect the health of their customers and all Ohioans, are being irresponsible and need to understand that these guidelines will be enforced.”
The Blind Pig Cincinnati-Ohio Facebook page issued a statement responding to social media heat on Saturday morning:
To address the crowd situation last night, and for those who don’t already know, photos and posts showing a packed patio at The Blind Pig have been shared around social media, and we want all of our patrons and the community to know we are taking this situation of overcrowding very seriously.
Upon the decision to reopen, we worked hard with our team and implemented all of the required guidelines to reopen, including the recommended installation of plexiglass barriers on the bars to protect our staff, and barriers and between tables to protect our guests.
Last night was our first night back in business, and as we all work to navigate the unknown, and implement these major changes to how we operate, we didn’t know what to expect with business, and unfortunately, despite that we have security and trained staff, the weather was beautiful, people came out, and we still didn’t have enough procedures and staff in place.
We are working this morning to fix this moving forward, and will issue a statement about additional changes and procedures that will be in place to keep our staff and guests safe, and follow the rules that have been set forth by the city and state.
Thank you for you continued support.
Bob Deck, the managing partner at Four Entertainment Group, which owns Rosedale, brought his team together before opening Saturday to discuss new protocols. It will take some practice to determine the best way to operate, he said.
Deck said the social distancing regulations got more difficult to follow as the night went on Friday night. On Saturday the bar will operate with table service only, instead of allowing customers to order at the bar. A third of the tables have been removed since Friday and there will be no more seating at the bar.
Deck said the team will meet again tomorrow to see what worked and what still needs improvement. And if customers do not follow their protocols, they may be asked to stop or leave.
"We will have to make sure that people are compliant," Deck said.
There is no set occupancy number for the Rosedale patio. The mangers watch to make sure it does not get "overcrowded," Deck said.
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Patrons at other locations praised the businesses' commitment to following the guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Alex Della Bella posted from the Incline Public House in East Price Hill, displaying his masked server and empty nearby tables.
"First time in two months I got served a beer! Not sure how to act!! Jake the waiter doing a great job, complete with social distancing in the post Covid restaurant lockdown era," the post reads.
Cranley received critical comments on Twitter after posting a photo with friends at Pepp and Dolores in Over-the-Rhine. The comments were not so much geared towards the restaurant, but at Cranley and his group.
The mayor claimed to be out to dinner with some of his "best childhood friends," according to the post.
Users commented that Cranley was setting a "poor example" and not following proper social distancing.
"This is completely wrong," Twitter user Justin Held wrote. "Do you live with those people?"
The mayor's office sent a reminder Saturday that DeWine's order allows up to 10 unrelated people per party.
Cranley's full statement issued Saturday afternoon regarding outdoor dining safety protocols and enforcement:
I am happy to report that overall the first night of outdoor dining went well. Restaurant owners went to great lengths to comply with safety protocols. We know they have been struggling and it is good to see business come back safely. Personally, I enjoyed my evening at a restaurant in Over the Rhine that successfully complied with safety protocols.
Despite widespread compliance, there were a few bars that clearly did not follow the requirement that all patrons have seats and that parties must be no bigger than 10 and that tables be at least 6 feet apart. As a result, this morning I met with the city manager, police, health and law department leadership to discuss enforcement actions. Tonight, enforcement will be enhanced and bars can and will be shut down if necessary to protect the public health. In addition, depending on the situation, fines will be issued and other legal actions may be taken. To any bar that is not following the state orders, consider yourself warned."
Seelbach posted a similar statement on Facebook Saturday. "We're all doing the best we can at the City," he wrote.
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