Orange County to end restaurant dining, alcohol sales at 10 p.m. to fight coronavirus
Orange County will limit local restaurants’ alcohol and dining-room sales starting this week to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The county announced Thursday that restaurants, private clubs and other food-service establishments across Orange County will not be able to sell alcohol after 10 p.m., starting at 5 p.m. Friday.
Other changes will limit food and beverage service businesses from providing off-site table service after 10 p.m., and require businesses to keep patrons from sitting or standing at bars.
Businesses also must keep patrons from touching shared surfaces, such as pool tables, dart boards and other game equipment, according to a news release.
Restaurants can still offer takeout, delivery and drive-through food orders after 10 p.m., county spokesman Todd McGee said.
The order also does not apply to grocery, convenience or ABC store sales.
Orange County already limits gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors. The limit on gatherings does not apply to worship, religious and spiritual services, funerals, weddings, or gathering for health and safety, work, shopping or government services.
Elected leaders contacted by The News & Observer in Durham, Raleigh and Durham and Wake counties on Thursday said they have no similar plans to further restrict restaurant dining or alcohol sales there.
UNC students due back next month
“We had heard that there were gatherings going on in these places late at night,” McGree said. “That people were staying in there and they were becoming essentially bars, and people were just sitting around and not observing social distancing, and of course, doing what kids do.”
The move comes roughly a month before UNC-Chapel Hill students are expected to return to campus. Some students already have returned.
Penny Rich, the chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, said confirmed coronavirus cases in Orange County have tripled since Memorial Day.
“These additional measures will help protect our community by reducing group settings where the virus can easily spread,” Rich said. “We must be vigilant in practicing physical distancing and wearing masks. It is more important than ever that we look out for each other.”
The county had reported 892 coronavirus cases and 42 deaths as of noon Thursday, according to its website.
The county’s data shows the number of cases reported each day has risen sharply, especially in the last three weeks, with 37% of cases reported so far among those ages 24 to 49. Another 19% of cases have been reported among those ages 18 to 24.
Staff writer Alyssa Lukpat contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Orange County to end restaurant dining, alcohol sales at 10 p.m. to fight coronavirus."
