Raleigh mayor bans late-night alcohol sales to slow the spread of the coronavirus
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin has banned the sale of alcohol in the city after 11 p.m., starting Wednesday.
Alcohol will not be available for purchase from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. in bars, restaurants and grocery stores to help stop the spread of COVID-19, according to the order she signed Monday afternoon.
There have been “numerous instances” of people gathering at restaurants and other businesses “in late evening and early morning hours where social distancing and face coverings requirements are not being followed,” it states.
“Our goal is to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the number of people, especially young people, gathering without masks during the early morning hours,” Baldwin said. “As my mom and dad used to tell me, nothing good happens after midnight.”
Grocery stores are included to prevent people from leaving bars, stocking up and gathering elsewhere, Baldwin said.
There are more than 100,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina. Wake County has nearly 9,000 of those confirmed cases, with the city of Raleigh having more than 5,400 of them.
Some restaurants, including some in Glenwood South, have voluntarily implemented an early last call already. The Downtown Raleigh district got a lot of attention for its long lines of unmasked patrons, with many not practicing social distancing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider restaurant and bar patrons and their employees at “lowest risk” when only take-out, delivery and curb-side service are allowed. The level rises to “more risk” when outdoor seating is available and “even more risk” when indoor dining is allowed but seating capacity is reduced to be at least six feet apart.
The “highest risk” is when there is indoor and outdoor seating, seating is not reduced and tables aren’t spaced at least 6 feet apart.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 3:48 PM.
