"Last Call" Joins Social Distancing and Limited Occupancy Initiatives to Help Curb COVID-19
Thursday, January 7, 2021
By David Gaudet
Positioned as an alternative to stricter mandates amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, at least a handful of state governments have initiated targeted regulations to prohibit ongoing surges of COVID. Among these regulations is a “last call” for alcohol sales at establishments where on-premise consumption is permitted, such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
But does last call affect only establishments where on-site consumption is permitted? Overall, it looks this way as it’s intended to further prevent large gatherings and to help maintain social distancing ordinances. States enacting some version of last call orders include South Carolina, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Colorado and Vermont.1 The latest state to embrace the initiative (as of this blog post’s publication date), is Virginia. Enacted just days ago, the Old Dominion now prohibits any on-site sale, consumption or possession of alcohol after 10 p.m., in any restaurant, dining establishment, food court, brewery, microbrewery, distillery, winery or tasting room.2
We hope you are not overwhelmed by the new changes cutting into your revenue stream. You can stay current with Covid regulations thru your state trade association or local liquor authorities.
For Compliance questions, please contact us by calling 1-877-540-5500 or visit www.barsprogram.com. With our 25 years of experience, we can answer your responsible sales questions.
Sources
1 Wine Institute, Wine Institute COVID-19 Closure Spreadsheet
2 Washingtonian, Nov. 13; Virginia Restaurants and Bars Can’t Sell Alcohol After 10 PM Anymore
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