That was fast. Only a couple of hours after we warned you in an Extra yesterday afternoon to expect bar and restaurant closings as a way to fight the novel Coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommended for the next eight weeks that events of more than 50 people be cancelled. “Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene and social distancing. When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual.”
That was all it took. In rapid order:
- New York City ordered bar and restaurant closures
- New Orleans cleared Bourbon Street
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the closures of all bars and restaurants
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker did likewise, through March 30
- In Memphis, Earnestine & Hazel’s bar closed to prevent spread of Covid-19.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered wineries, bars, nighclubs and brewpubs to close to the public. And restaurants were urged to cut seating capacity in half.
- Washington, DC, ordered nightclubs and multipurpose facilities to close, ordered restaurants and bars to suspend bar seating and service to standing patrons, allowed only six people to be seated at a table and said tables and booths with patrons must be separated by at least six feet. Celebrity chef José Andrés closed all his restaurants in the DC area and said his kitchens would provide takeout food to people in need.
- Massachusetts closed all restaurants and bars for three weeks, except for takeout and delivery through April 6.