'Obey the rules. It's not that difficult,' Raleigh mayor says as bars reopen
As bars across North Carolina welcomed customers back inside Friday for the first time in 11 months, authorities were on the lookout for any violations of the state's latest pandemic rules.
Posted — UpdatedCooper also lifted a nightly 10 p.m. curfew and pushed back last call for serving drinks for on-site consumption by two hours, to 11 p.m.
Bars were closed completely for months until Cooper allowed some limited outdoor service last fall.
Parliament, in Raleigh's Glenwood South district, didn't have enough outdoor seating to take advantage of that, manager Adam Heidrick said, so it just shut down a second time.
"The last thing we had was Christmas decorations up," Heidrick said.
With the 30 percent capacity rule, only 13 customers will be allowed inside at a time, he said.
"It’s definitely a step in the right direction – 13 is better than zero. At this point, we’re trying to play catch up," he said.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said bar owners need to stick to the rules to reduce the potential for another surge in coronavirus cases that could force the state to close bars again.
"One of the things I try to impress upon the owners [is] control your occupancy. That is going to be really important," Baldwin said. "They can’t control what happens on the street. That’s been where some of the optics get really bad."
"If the optics are really bad, the governor’s office is right down the road," Baldwin said. "Please don’t mess this up. That’s the message for people who are coming out on the streets. Wear your mask. Obey the rules. It’s not that difficult."
Bar owners have flooded the city's Office of Emergency Management and Special Events with questions about the new rules, the mayor said.
“I definitely think the business has a responsibility to at least make its best attempt to keep people at a social distance," Heidrick said. "[But] you can’t force people to be 6 feet apart all the time."
Raleigh police and city staff have been in contact with nearly 300 businesses since last summer to explain rules on masks, physical distancing and occupancy limits.
"Our goals include monitoring business compliance with current executive orders, educating first and foremost, and taking enforcement actions for the most egregious violations when necessary," Raleigh police spokeswoman Donna-maria Harris said in an email to WRAL News.
Police have issued only five citations for violations, all of them bars, she said. Three of those were this month.
“What I have talked to [owners] about is to control what is in your control," Baldwin said. "You don’t want to ruin this for everybody."
Heidrick agreed.
Related Topics
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.