Joint Unified Command Center holds weekly corona virus meeting

ZANESVILLE – Muskingum County Board of Health Medical Director Dr. Jack Butterfield says its important for restaurants to have a plan that will keep everyone in the building safe. He says we have to re-open area businesses at some time.

“Well, who knows when the right time is? In Ohio, the curve has flattened. That’s a good thing. We have to re-open our business and our economy at some time. This seems like a reasonable time to do so but what matters is that our businesses does everything they can to keep our community safe and that our community do everything they can to keep themselves safe,” Butterfield said.

Some local restaurants are very eager to open outdoor seating on the 15th and open entirely on May 21st. However, Adrian Adornetto, owner of the popular Adornetto’s Italian Restaurant in Zanesville says eateries are not required to open on these dates and some places may choose not to do so.

“You’ve got to look at it as if you’re a restaurant who was currently operating, say, in a drive-thru curbside atmosphere. You’ve got supplies coming in throughout the week, you have half of your staff working in there already adjusting everyday every week to the normal, your restaurant has been completely shut down or a bar. You’re taking people that haven’t been involved in this situation that’s been on for 9 and a half weeks hoping that they’re healthy to come back; maybe they took a job, maybe they’re at home taking care of their kids because school’s are out,” Adornetto said.

Adornetto says he is not sure of the date his restaurant will re-open at this time.