Stating that crowds gathering at bars still remains a problem area for the spread of Covid-19, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced today that starting Friday, Aug. 7, the bar area of all bars and restaurants must be closed by 11 p.m. She said that restaurants and pubs can still be open, but the bar area proper should be closed by 11 p.m.
Raimondo said that while many people have been calling for bars to be shut down completely, she was seeking the middle ground.
“I have been trying to strike a balance but too many bars are pushing, pushing, pushing the limit,” said Raimondo. “Bars are a problem.” She made her announcement at her Wednesday, Aug. 5 press briefing.
She said that state inspectors will be out in force to ensure the new regulations are followed. Raimondo said that state inspectors had found that 20 percent of all bars inspected were not separating bartenders from their customers in