States crack down on bars as COVID-19 cases surge

Governors are cracking down on bars and other drinking establishments, blaming them for fueling spikes in coronavirus infections across the U.S.

California, Arizona, Texas and Florida are among the states ordering counties to shut down bars, reversing course on reopening their economies.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told senators at a U.S. Senate hearing: "Bars, really not good, really not good. Congregation at a bar, inside, is bad news. We really have got to stop that right now," he said.

"Just look at some of the film clips that you've seen of people congregating often without masks, of being in crowds and jumping over and avoiding and not paying attention to the guidelines that we very carefully put out, we are going to continue to be in a lot of trouble," Fauci said.

With about 40,000 new cases being reported a day, Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, said he "would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around."

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday ordered bars that have opened in seven California counties, including Los Angeles, to immediately close and urged bars in eight other counties, including Contra Costa County, to do the same. He said the coronavirus was rapidly spreading in those parts of the state and that bar settings create a higher risk of transmission.

Rotator Taproom in downtown Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County had been preparing to reopen for indoor service Wednesday, but local public health officials have put those plans on hold following Gov. Newsom's order.

"I want to do what's right. I want to help our business. But I don't want to cause any kind of, you know, illness, disease in anyone else. So we keep everything outside. We have to right now. That's part of the county order," said co-owner Marc Trapani.

Rotator Taproom has set up tables and umbrellas in the parking lot outside and has instituted a number of cleaning and social distancing protocols to keep customers and employees staff, Trapani said.

He said he understands why governors and county health officials are cracking down on bars.

"A lot of places, it even happens around here where they're not adhering to the social distancing protocols. So and actually, they'll have people inside. They'll be shoulder to shoulder. They won't have masks on," Trapani said.

He's relieved that he's allowed to serve patrons outside, but worries that outdoor service could be shut down too, which would make his business unsustainable.

"If we were, let's say, only allowed to sell bottles and cans, there's no way we can make the revenue to cover, you know, a rent or taxes or payroll," Trapani said.

With coronavirus cases surging, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he plans to "tighten things up" when it comes to the state's stay-at-home order ahead of a busy Fourth of July weekend.

California has confirmed close to 223,000 infections, a nearly 50% increase over two weeks ago that has been driven in part by the state's ability to now test more than 100,000 people per day. But more concerning to officials is the steady growth in COVID-19 hospitalizations — a 43% increase in the past two weeks.

The state has been under a stay-at-home order since March 19, but Newsom has loosened restrictions in recent weeks to allow most businesses to open. Newsom said he would announce changes to the order Wednesday, hinting he would focus more on indoor restrictions where the virus is more likely to spread.

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