Sorry, but COVID-19 means you can’t sit at the bar for a while in Washington state

Washington state residents likely will have to wait until Phase 4, or when “normal” business activity resumes, to sit at the bar.

With cases of COVID-19 on the rise, Gov. Jay Inslee this week announced changes to Phase 3 guidelines that prohibit bar-style seating, as well as live music.

Now, Phase 2 and Phase 3 look effectively the same for bars and restaurants, save for additional seating capacity at indoor and outdoor tables.

The original guidelines for restaurants operating during the Safe Start recovery program permitted patrons to belly up to the bar — at 25 percent capacity — once their county entered Phase 3. Under modified Phase 1 and Phase 2 plans, bar seating is strictly prohibited and must be cordoned off.

Existing Phase 3 protocols remain in place. That means customers may sit in groups of up to 10 — at tables spaced at least six feet apart, of course — and communal food service areas such as salad bars and buffets may resume starting in Phase 2.

Nothing has changed regarding other important safety elements as Washingtonians await a return to normalcy: Sanitizing, social distancing and mask-wearing will continue to be required. Menus should be single-use only, as should condiments left on tables unless they are sanitized between seatings.

As was the case, customers should always be seated unless waiting in a lobby area, where they must be able to maintain six feet from other parties.

Masks are required as of July 7 in public places where social distancing is not possible, with few exceptions for medical conditions and children under 2 years old. They can be removed to eat and drink while seated in a restaurant.

BARS PHASE 3 APPROACH WON’T CHANGE

Though some bars will inevitably lament the lack of bar seating in Phase 3, plans for handling Phase 3 have not changed for many.

Chris Miller, co-owner of The Red Hot, a popular beer bar and hot dog shop in Tacoma, said the establishment would not have been able to sensibly seat customers at the bar given the six-foot rule.

The restaurant, which reopened with a walk-up window for carryout only in June and recently opened its dining room, seats 80 people at full capacity. Maintaining six feet between tables for Phase 2, it seats 39.

“I might get one barstool to space out right, but it’s not worth the labor cost to safely seat one person at the bar,” he said in a text message.

His current setup allows safe distancing for customers and open pathways for staff to safely do their job.

In South Tacoma, The Mule Tavern’s owner Sam Halhuli said they are simply striving to serve their customers as safely as possible, adding that outdoor seating has been more in demand.

“When we’re allowed to seat the bar, we will seat the bar, unless it feels like an unnecessary health risk,” he said.

Others had concluded they would remain closed until at least Phase 3 began due to safety precautions and capacity restrictions, not to mention financial viability.

The family of taverns that is The Parkway and Terry’s Office in Tacoma and Cole’s in Ruston has been closed since March 17. When Phase 2 began in Pierce County, they posted on social media that they would remain closed until at least Phase 3. They told The News Tribune they have not committed to an opening date or “phase” simply because it is impossible to know what will happen.

The 17 counties already in Phase 3 must backtrack on bar seating. As of July 7, 17 counties remain in Phase 2 and five in a modified Phase 1.

In response to a surge in cases throughout the month of June that have seeped into the start of July, Inslee paused review of applications to move ahead until July 16.

The halt on bar seating is one approach to tackling similar upticks COVID-19 cases across the country.

In Pennsylvania, Allegheny County — home to the state’s second-largest city, Pittsburgh — banned the sale of alcohol at bars and restaurants and banned indoor dining leading up to the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Outdoor seating is permitted, but customers may consume only three alcoholic beverages.

Florida also halted the sale of alcohol as cases surged to nearly 10,000 per day, breaking single-day records, and in Texas, the state alcohol commission yanked, temporarily, the licenses of at least a dozen bars for failure to follow restrictions intended to keep the virus at bay.

This story was originally published July 12, 2020 at 8:00 AM.