SLO County closes bars for Fourth of July weekend due to coronavirus concerns
San Luis Obispo County bars, pubs and breweries must close during the Fourth of July holiday weekend due to coronavirus concerns, according to an order from the San Luis Obispo public health officer.
Bars, pubs and breweries in the county must remain closed from 4 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday, the county announced in a news release Friday morning.
Bars that provide meals via table service and a full in-house kitchen are exempt from the order while full food service is offered. Wine tasting venues are also exempt., according to the release
According to the release, the county Emergency Operations Center was notified Thursday afternoon about beach closures in Santa Barbara and Monterey counties, which will likely increase the number of visitors who travel to San Luis Obispo County for Independence Day.
In order to protect visitors and residents, the county will increase safety checks at restaurants and stores over the weekend in partnership with the cities of Grover Beach, Morro Bay, and Pismo Beach, as well as the Port San Luis Harbor District and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, the release said.
“Furthermore, bars will be closed countywide in anticipation of a higher level of patronage due to the expected crowds,” the county said.
The move comes after San Luis Obispo officials on Wednesday announced all bars, breweries and wine-tasting venues in the city must close during the Fourth of July weekend. 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.
“SLO County is not the place to party this weekend. Bars specifically draw large crowds, and we have seen recent cases of COVID-19 likely transmitted within these establishments locally and throughout the state,” county public health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in the release. “Bars are particularly high risk because they are closed, indoor spaces often with poor ventilation, where physical distancing is not always easy or possible, and where close communication (talking face to face) typically occurs.”
Borenstein said during a Wednesday news conference that San Luis Obispo County did not anticipate closing any of its local beaches or businesses despite a surge in local COVID-19 cases.
For updates on COVID-19 in SLO County, visit ReadySLO.org.
This story was originally published July 3, 2020 at 10:18 AM.