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The Tulare County Public Health Officer has signed and released a Public Health Order for the prevention of COVID-19 pursuant to Tulare County Ordinance and the California Health and Safety Code. The newly released Order calls for the immediate closure of bars, pubs, brewpubs, and breweries in an effort to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in Tulare County. The full Order can be found at Tulare County COVID-19 Response website under the Local Emergency Orders for Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission.

“COVID-19 continues to spread, and cases are drastically rising throughout Tulare County,” stated Dr. Karen Haught, Tulare County Public Health Officer. “Most concerning is the significant increase in hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients in our local hospitals, indicating the severity of this virus.”

Bars are defined as establishments primarily serving alcohol without sit-down, dine-in food service. The focus is on establishments providing high-risk environments of virus transmission for the following reasons:

• Bars are purely social settings where different people and groups mix
• Alcohol consumption impairs judgment and may lead to less compliance with social distancing guidance
• People often spend more time in a bar than other establishments, like restaurants, etc.
• Loud bars require loud conversation/yelling, which can spread droplets more efficiently
• People who may not know each other often congregate in bars, making it more difficult to engage in thorough contact tracing

To reduce and stop the spread of COVID-19 in Tulare County, local public health officials strongly urge everyone to practice both social and physical distancing of six feet or more between persons. Residents should always wear a face mask or covering while in environments where physical distancing is not possible and while in public settings. More importantly, officials urge residents to not participate in social gatherings of any kind, as a large number of the COVID-19 cases in Tulare County are due to contact transmission through gatherings that occurred beyond a single household.

In addition, community members are encouraged to frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer, regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces, and stay home if you are sick or instructed to isolate/quarantine by a medical or public health professional.

The Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency is working with local businesses affected by this Emergency Health Order, along with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to enforce the Order.

For more information about COVID-19, visit www.tchhsa.org/ncov and www.covid19.tularecounty.ca.gov