The City of San Luis Obispo is placing temporary restrictions on bars ahead of the 4th of July holiday weekend.
Starting at 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, all bars, pubs, breweries, wine tasting venues, and other on-sale alcohol establishments must shut down. They will be allowed to reopen at 25 percent capacity on Monday, July 6, until further notice.
Restaurants are exempt from the order.
City officials say the closures were prompted because of concern that larger groups of people will gather at local bars because of the cancellation of fireworks shows and other holiday events, and because bars in surrounding counties were ordered to close by Governor Gavin Newsom as a result of increased COVID-19 rates.
On Monday, San Luis Obispo County Public Health officials said that much of a recent increase in coronavirus cases could be attributed to community spread, including people who reported going to bars.