SLO to close bars, breweries for Fourth of July weekend due to coronavirus concerns
San Luis Obispo officials on Wednesday announced all bars in the city must close during the Fourth of July weekend.
And when drinking establishments reopen next week, they must operate at 25% of capacity.
City Manager Derek Johnson — acting as emergency services director — issued the closure order, which will take effect at 10 p.m. Thursday and remain in place until Monday, according to the city news release.
The order applies to all bars, pubs, breweries, wine tasting venues and “other on-sale alcohol establishments,” the release said. Restaurants are exempt from the order.
Starting on Monday, San Luis Obispo bars and other drinking establishments can reopen —but they must operate at only 25% of capacity and must follow state and county health measures, the city said.
“The health and safety of the community is our No. 1 priority,” Johnson said in the release. “The city has been advised by the county that bars are an area of concern for transmission of COVID-19, especially within the city jurisdiction, where bar concentrations are high and visitors from out of the area are drawn during holiday weekends.
“Taking action to slow the spread of the disease is vital to public health and our economic recovery.”
The order comes after Dr. Penny Borenstein, San Luis Obispo County public health officer, said on Monday that some residents who tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend had reported going to bars.
Officials are worried more people will flock to drinking establishments during the holiday weekend because fireworks shows and parades have been canceled, the release said.
“With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement of new restrictions, including the closure of bars in 19 counties, many immediately surrounding San Luis Obispo, the city is proactively implementing measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community,” the release said.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 6:34 PM.
