Coronavirus National Emergency: See Every State Shutting Down Bars, Restaurants

As coronavirus continues to be a concern on an international level, it’s caused a monumental disruption to many peoples’ day-to-day life. Most recently, there’s been an attempt to encourage social distancing and self-quarantining as a means to help slow the spread. Which, incidentally, has been championed by a number of celebrities of late, from Lady Gaga to Channing Tatum.

Along with these individual acts, production companies from Disney to Netflix have halted work on their myriad of projects, while several major motion pictures have seen their releases delayed for months — and in some cases, indefinitely. TV shows have gone on hiatus, including Saturday Night Live, and even the late-night lineup even attempted to tape a few shows without a live studio audience.

In addition to all these efforts, a number of local governments have ordered any business deemed as ‘non-essential’ to close down. These mainly include bars and restaurants, which are often high-contact environments in closed-quarters. While many more are expected to follow suit in the coming days, here’s a list of all the states that have some kind of closure for bars and restaurants in effect.

New York

Monday Morning, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a number of business closures, namely bars and restaurants, where were ordered to close by 8 p.m. ET, via CNN. Additionally, all local governments must reduce their workforce by 50 percent while all non-essential personnel can stay home.

Grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies and, of course, medical facilities are exempt. Cuomo is also working the officials from both New Jersey and Connecticut to help strengthen their efforts. 

Indiana

Monday also saw Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announce that he’s closing bars and restaurants until the end of March at least, though restaurants will be able to serve food via carry out and delivery.

Along with almost every school district, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites will be closed to the public starting tomorrow, according to CNN. 

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo announced Monday that all public gatherings will be limited to 25 people or fewer. The ban applied to municipal buildings, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles.

All bars and dine-in restaurants will remain closed down until March 30. The policy will take effect on Tuesday, though drive-through and takeout delivery service will be allowed to remain open. The ban also applies to municipal buildings, including the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The state’s April 28 primary election will not be postponed as of now. “In an ideal world, we would move to an all-mail — an all-mail election,” Raimondo said, via CNN. 

New Jersey

In New Jersey, residents are temporarily suspended from traveling between the hours of 8 p.m. ET to 5 a.m. ET. Although Governor Phil Murphy did announce that there would be exceptions for essential travel. The curfew will remain in effect for the foreseeable future.

Connecticut

Working with New York and New Jersey, the state of Connecticut has announced a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. The decision was made in a call between Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, and fellow Governors Cuomo Murphy and Phil Murphy, per CNN. 

The three states also agreed to close casinos, gyms and movie theaters as of 8 p.m. ET, which is also when dine-in restaurants will also shudder. 

Ohio

In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine announced on Sunday that the state government will issue an order closing all bars and restaurants in Ohio beginning Monday night 9 p.m. ET, according to Axios. Carry-out food is still encouraged during this time. 

Massachusetts

Similar to Rhode Island, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker also banned gatherings of over 25 people on Sunday. Axios reports that restaurants were also ordered restaurants to transition to takeout only starting on Tuesday and lasting through April 17. 

California

While nothing official has been ruled just yet, California Governor Gavin Newsom has called on all bars, nightclubs and wineries in his state to be closed in an official guidance. “We have the capacity to enforce if necessary,” he added, while also calling for all Californians above the age of 65 and those with chronic conditions to self-isolate.

San Francisco, however, will be going on 24-hour lockdown for the next three weeks, as reported by TMZ. 

Washington

Restaurants, bars and entertainment and recreational facilities will be closed in Washington state, per an order from Governor Jay Inslee. Axios also notes that restaurants can continue take-out and delivery service, as is quickly becoming the norm. 

Michigan

Finally, Governor Garlin Gilchrist also took to Twitter on Monday to announce that his state will be closing down bars and restaurants as well.