LOUISVILLE, Ky. — According to a release, the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness enhanced compliance team will be out enforcing COVID-19 safety guidelines for New Year's Eve.
The team will focus on restaurants, bars and other businesses throughout the city as well as required business closing times to ensure public safety.
“I think we’re all happy to celebrate the end of a very challenging 2020,” said Connie Mendel, Deputy Director. “But COVID-19 is still widespread throughout Louisville. Our actions today determine what our case counts, and hospitalizations will look like three weeks from now. We need to keep our celebrations small, within our own immediate circles. And our local bars, restaurants and clubs need to ensure they are adhering to all the Healthy at Work safety guidelines.”
According to Nick Hart, the assistant director of the Louisville Public Health and Wellness Division of Environmental Health, several businesses have been given orders to close their doors by midnight.
"If nothing happens, there's fines and penalties, and then if bad behavior continues, those facilities are putting their operating permits at risk such as their food permits, their alcohol permits," he said.
Hart said even though it is New Year's Eve, the health department is not in a position to give exemptions to the guidelines, including the one requiring businesses to close right when people are ringing in the new year.
"The longer that people are allowed to remain together, potentially drinking, having more and more fun, our aversion to risk lowers and therefore is creates more risk, not only for yourself but for the people that you're around," he said.
WHAS11 talked to some businesses in Louisville as they find creative ways to maintain business and keep it safe for patrons.
One Louisville brewing company is moving the ball drop up to a time before they have to close and even streaming fireworks on their TV screens.
Some others have included New Year's Day dining specials.
Flanagan's Ale House in the Highlands said it is keeping with its regular hours. The Ancient Order of the Hibernians still had its 7 p.m. Irish New Year toast, but owner Drew Borgmann said the number of guests was drastically reduced.
"We have about 40 of the guys back here. Normally it'd be a couple hundred but this year they reserved their spot here," he said.
Metro Public Health reminds that these business will be following Kentucky Healthy at Work guidelines which include: No bar seating and bar service, stop dine-in food and drink service by 11 p.m., close no later than midnight, except drive-thru, carry-out and delivery services and customer capacity must be at 50% occupancy.
The release says, health department inspectors as well as KY ABC and LMPD will be out on New Year’s Eve and over the weekend conducting surveillance.
If violations are observed by businesses, corrective orders will be issued. Businesses that do not take immediate corrective action are subject to penalties, fines, loss of liquor or food licenses and potential closure of their establishments.
Healthy at Work guidelines for restaurants and bars and gatherings for up to 10 people can be found on the Kentucky Department of Public Health website for COVID-19 response.
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