Browns, Buckeye Backers Will Still Have To Adhere To 10 p.m. Curfew

Ohio sports fans have a lot to celebrate, but they should plan accordingly.

Those hoping to watch the game from a restaurant or bar still have to be out by 10 p.m.

Go. Mike DeWine said during a press conference Tuesday (January 5) that the state-issued curfew in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic would remain in place even on nights of postseason games.

DeWine announced on December 30 that the curfew would extend to January 23. It goes into effect at 10 p.m. and remains in effect through 5 a.m.

He explained that officials opted to keep it in place “because we don’t yet know what effect the holidays may have on our hospitals and health care systems, so we must continue to be cautious.”

The curfew blocks restaurants and bars from serving customers inside past 10 p.m., but takeout orders, drive-thru meals and deliveries are still allowed, the governor said.

That means that restaurants and bars will still have to close at 10 p.m. when the Cleveland Browns and the Ohio State Buckeyes play on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

Fans won’t be able to watch either of the games in restaurants and bars past halftime, with the games starting in the evening, News 5 Cleveland noted.

“I can't look at these numbers and say that we should expand the time when people can be together…in a bar or restaurant, because in a bar and a restaurant, by definition, you cannot wear a mask when you're drinking or when you're eating." DeWine said Tuesday. "I understand that we have people hurting. I understand that we have great desire for people to be able to go to a bar and root on the Buckeyes or root on the Browns but that would simply add to the spread that we already have."

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