Florida Bars Ordered To Stop Serving Alcohol As Coronavirus Cases Surge
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) - Bars across the state which were recently allowed to reopen have now been ordered to stop serving alcohol for onsite consumption as coronavirus cases spike in Florida.
Miami-Dad and Broward bars are not affected because they were not allowed to reopen to serve alcohol that would be consumed onsite. Monroe bars, however, are affected.
Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears, whose agency regulates the industry, tweeted the order on Friday morning.
"Effective immediately, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is suspending on premises consumption of alcohol at bars statewide," Beshears tweeted.
No additional details were immediately available.
Beshears' action came as the Florida Department of Health on Friday reported 8,942 more coronavirus cases, breaking the record for a one-day increase of 5,511 cases set Wednesday. Since the pandemic began, 122,960 people have tested positive in the state, and 3,366 Florida residents have died, an increase of 39 deaths from Thursday.
Bars in most of Florida, along with movie theaters, tattoo shops, and major theme parks, were allowed to start reopening with limited occupancy on June 5. But with coronavirus cases surging, Beshears this week tried to send a message about bars exceeding the occupancy limit when he suspended the alcoholic-beverage license of a bar near the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
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