Announced late Tuesday night, Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order saying all establishments that sell alcohol must cease sales starting at 10 p.m. That includes (but is not limited to) liquor stores, restaurants, breweries and bars that serve food. Bars that don’t serve food and nightclubs are still to remain closed. Polis explained in a press release the new order aims to curb “social behavior” that leads to less social distancing. The news also comes after the governor issued a statewide mask mandate just last week due to rising cases here in Colorado.
“We know we can’t behave the way we did last summer, or even the way we did in February. Though we have taken steps to open up more of our economy, we have to remain vigilant,” said Governor Polis. “If we continue keeping a safe distance of six feet from others, mask up when we leave the house, and connect with each other virtually when possible, we’ll start to see less tests coming back positive for COVID-19 and begin to create more opportunities to get our economy back on track. The nature of the virus alone does a great job of setting us back. Do not give the virus the power to do what it does best: spread by engaging in risky, irresponsible, and thoughtless behavior.”
The order is in effect starting Thursday, July 23 starting at 9 a.m. and is set to expire in 30 days, unless extended by executive order.
For a complete list of businesses affected by the order, it includes all licensees contained in Articles 3, 4, and 5 of Title 44 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.