Less than two weeks after Colorado bars opened at 25% capacity, Gov. Jared Polis has closed them once again.
At a news conference Tuesday, Polis announced bars and nightclubs, which were allowed to open at 25% capacity June 18, will have to close in response to rising case numbers of the novel coronavirus in Colorado and nearby states like Texas and Arizona.
“In my eagerness to get Colorado reopened and back to a semblance of normalcy, our guidance on June 18 allowed bars and nightclubs to open in a reduced capacity,” Polis said at the news conference. “I was excited. … I know they’re important. They’re important economically, not only for the people that work in bars but an important way to get your frustrations out.”
The news also impacts restaurants, which will have to close their bar areas again. While bartenders can use the area to make drinks, customers will not be allowed to sit at the bar, Wineland said.
Bars still will be allowed to offer takeout drink options.
Polis said the nature of bars and nightclubs makes it increasingly difficult to prevent the spread of the disease.
