San Diego County Closes All Bars, Forces Restaurants to Go Takeout or Delivery-Only

Health officials in San Diego County issued new orders on Monday afternoon to try and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Officials are now mandating that all bars, pubs, and other businesses that only serve alcohol should close, while all restaurant must end dine-in services; they may continue to offer takeout, delivery, and drive-thru services. And social distancing is required for those picking up food from establishments. These regulations will continue until March 31 but may be extended.

The public health order’s new restrictions also include to a ban on gatherings of 50 people, and citizens are urged to stop non-essential meetings of any size.

Yesterday, California governor Gavin Newsom called for the closure of all bars, brewpubs, wineries, and nightclubs and by Sunday evening, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti had ordered a shutter of all its restaurants and bars, which has now extended to LA County. San Franciscans have now been ordered to shelter in place, and states around the country, from Washington to Ohio, have been issued similar orders to close all bars and end on-premise dining.

Eater will continue to track restaurants that are offering takeout or delivery options as the local hospitality industry struggles with the fallout from the widening pandemic.