It’s a sad, sad day for the residents of Texas and Florida. Governors of both states have decided to close bars & other related establishments, effective immediately. Yup, that means all night club venues too. This decision is a direct reflection of not only the rising cases, but the rising hospitalizations in what people fear to be the next “hot spots.”
This decision seems to be in the best interest of both states, in an effort to help SLOW the spread of the novel Coronavirus. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made the call after Florida saw 9,000 new cases on Friday. While, there is a lot of controversy around this decision, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, “At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in the bars.”
On top of bars closing, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also made the decision to reduce restaurant capacity to 50%. Any outdoor gatherings larger than 100 people must be approved by local governments first. (There are some exceptions to this) As of now, Florida has not chosen to make those changes.
Now Miami Beach announced it will close beaches during the entire 4th of July weekend. With fear of the virus returning to a fever pitch, things are getting stricter again. You might want to reschedule that Miami 4th of July trip.
So, what does this mean? This means that bars in Texas that receive over 51% of their profit from alcohol sales, must close. This means that bars in Florida that receive over 50% of their profit from alcohol sales, must close.
One positive? We’re back to a popular quarantine staple – TO GO beverages of course!
As of now, there is no clear time frame as to when bars and similar establishments will be able to re-open. When the time comes, it is also not clear if they will re-open at the same capacity.
Whether you agree or disagree with the decision made by both Governors, I think we can ALL agree that we want Covid to end and normal life to resume. 2020, has certainly, been one for the books.