Columbus police to issue warning letters for large gatherings after complaints of off-campus parties over the weekend.

Columbus police plan to start issuing warning letters to people holding mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic after responding to 10 complaints in the University District over the weekend.

If police are called multiple times to the same address, they could issue citations that call for fines of up to $750 and maximum jail time of 90 days.

"It may be lack of understanding," Deputy Chief Michael Woods said Tuesday. "If we continue to get repeat violations, we’ll take necessary steps to address them."

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Police responded to 10 off-campus parties over the weekend after receiving complaints. Woods said no citations were issued.

The letter, developed with the Columbus City Attorney’s Office, said that gatherings of more than 10 are prohibited under the state’s stay-at-home order. It also mentions staying at least 6 feet away from others.

"This letter serves as a formal warning that you are in violation of the Ohio Department of Health order as related to mass gatherings, social distancing and/or proper hygiene," the letter said.

"Our goal is the same as the governor’s office," Woods said.

Doreen Uhas-Sauer, who leads the University Area Commission, said she received emails over the weekend about the gatherings after residents saw social media postings.

She said that if four people are talking to one another from a safe distance that’s one thing, "but then you start hearing about house parties, larger gatherings, of course there is a concern," she said.

Ohio State University sent letters in recent weeks to property owners and students living in the area just off-campus, encouraging them to do their part by practicing social distancing and limiting large gatherings. The letter pointed out that violating state orders could result in fines or charges, and students could be subject to action by the university’s student conduct office.

Another letter sent to OSU students Tuesday urged them to take social distancing seriously.

"The usual guidance on partying smart does not apply to this pandemic," said the letter from OSU Police Chief Kimberly Spears-McNatt and Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan. "Parties or gatherings of any type, where anyone other than family or household members are present, are extremely risky and completely avoidable. Please stay home and stay safe."

According to the Athens News, Athens police have cited five Ohio University students for violating the state’s stay-at-home order for either hosting or attending parties.

Late on Monday afternoon, there was a gathering of at least a dozen people in the yard outside a house on East 17th Avenue near Summit Street.

Several said they lived at the house and that their parents were dropping off food to them.

"We don’t have concerns. We don’t leave the property," said Frank Potiker, 21, an Ohio State junior from the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.

About 1,000 students remain in university housing, Ohio State spokesman Dave Isaacs said. Most students living on campus left at the university’s direction amid the pandemic, but exceptions were granted for students with special circumstances who were not able to move out.

The university did not have figures for how many students remained in Columbus at off-campus residences, but the letters sent to students encouraged those living off-campus to consider going home to a permanent residence if they are able.

Katherine Cull, the city’s neighborhood liaison for the area, said people who see gatherings of 10 or more can call the police nonemergency line at 614-645-4545 so officers can be sent to educate people.

Dispatch Reporter Bethany Bruner contributed to this story.

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