Gov. Gary Herbert announced Thursday morning that he is lifting the 10 p.m. “Last call for alcohol” regulation at Utah’s restaurants and bars, which he had instituted to help stem the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Gov. Herbert had reasoned that if people couldn’t order alcoholic drinks, they would be less inclined to gather for longer periods of time at bars.
On Thursday Herbert acknowledged the 10 pm. limitation hurt hospitality businesses, and that rescinding the curfew will help bars and restaurants “hang on” through the pandemic.
Other restrictions remain, such as maintaining six feet of distance between tables, wearing a mask except when eating or drinking and remaining stationary when eating and drinking. To reduce crowding, the number of patrons must be reduced by 40 to 70 percent depending on the size of the establishment.