The end of April draws near and many residents of the US are eagerly waiting for the country to reopen. Fortunately, for all of us, it appears there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel for these historic lockdowns. In detail, the White House releases it’s guidelines for reopening the country in phases on Thursday. With this, governors and mayors have thorough plans at their disposal for getting their respective states and cities back online. Furthermore, this brings great news for the reeling nightlife industry as an end to a restriction on gatherings is soon to come. Unfortunately, for smaller venues like bars and clubs, they’ll have to wait until phase two of the plan.
Nearly eight weeks ago, the CDC urges a moratorium on gatherings of 50+ people. Seemingly, most governments will fully oblige that time-frame by the time clubs and bars finally begin to open again. According to the federal guidelines, large venues will actually be able to open in phase one of the plan. However, strict social distancing should remain in effect until phase two of the plan. Moreover, bars and clubs are explicitly prohibited from opening until phase two.
When exactly will bars and clubs reopen?
Due to the steps necessary to move between the phases of the plans, it still may be some time before we see the return of festivals or concerts. Once a state meets certain criteria, it can begin its phased reopening. Then, it must satisfy the criteria again before moving to the next phase. The full details of that criteria are below:
Obviously, since social distancing measures must remain in effect until phase two, it remains unclear exactly when bars and clubs can finally reopen. Furthermore, even though large venues can open in phase one, it’s unrealistic for any major events to begin taking place. Certainly, cities must relax social distancing measures before dance events can resume.
As a result, it could be some time before we restore partying to its pre-COVID-19 glory. Nevertheless, it’s finally great to hear that bars and clubs will be reopening soon. Equally important, we may be able to salvage what’s left of the 2020 festival season.