ST. LOUIS — Coronavirus restrictions that were implemented three weeks ago in St. Louis will continue past the Labor Day holiday, the city health department announced on Friday.
Dr. Fredrick Echols, acting director of health for the City of St. Louis, has issued an order that extends restrictions placed on bars and restaurants to limit the spread of the virus.
In the St. Louis area, the spread of COVID-19 continues to impact the health of residents, the health department said in a press release. The seven-day moving average of COVID-19 related hospital admissions in the region remain in the mid to low 40’s and people younger than 40 continue to represent the majority of new cases.
“We must stay vigilant in our actions if we wish to protect the health of our community by slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the City of St. Louis,” Echols said. “As we head into the holiday weekend, if someone relaxes their preventative measures, they could bring the virus home to their family or spread it to friends. Renewing these measures can help to reduce the positivity rate in the City of St. Louis.”
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The order includes the following restrictions:
- Bars, restaurants and nightclubs shall limit their capacity to 50% of their permitted occupancy or less and shall close by 11 p.m.
- Large venues shall reduce their capacity to 50% or less of their permitted occupancy and shall continue to comply with the Guidance and Protocols for Cultural Institutions/Destinations & Attractions/Large Venues
- All businesses shall encourage employees and volunteers to quarantine or isolate if they have or are believed to have COVID-19 or if they have come into contact with individual(s) with COVID-19. All businesses shall encourage employees and volunteers who have been tested for COVID-19 to self-quarantine until they receive their test results.
- Any business that closed as a result of an enforcement action or to protect the public’s health may conduct activities necessary to perform the following activities: maintain the value of a business’s inventory, provide security, process payroll or employee benefits, or to facilitate employees of the business being able to continue to work remotely provided that such activities do not further endanger the public’s health.
The order will go into effect at 12 a.m. on Sept. 8 and will remain in place until it is revised, modified or rescinded, the health department said in the release.
Anyone with questions about the restrictions should contact RestartStLouis@stlouis-mo.gov.