A dozen bars in Texas were given a sobering punishment after violating the state’s social distancing guidelines.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission temporarily revoked the alcohol licenses from 12 bars that were found in violation of the state’s social distancing guidelines. The commission announced the decision to pull the alcohol licenses on Sunday by sharing footage of packed bars from over the weekend.
Photo at Handlebar in Houston ⬇️ 2/3 pic.twitter.com/kOiJTBqm9p
— Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (@TexasABC) June 21, 2020
Texas’s reopening strategy, Operation Safe Open, only allows bars to have 50% capacity and mandates that groups maintain 6 feet of separation to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. Restaurants are allowed to have 75% capacity, but they must also maintain distance between groups.
The bars that were found in violation of the policy are located throughout the state, including establishments in Austin, Dallas, and El Paso. Those who were caught on their first infraction have had their licenses revoked for 30 days. A second violation yields a 60-day suspension.
“Protecting the health and safety of Texans during this pandemic is our top priority,” said commission Executive Director Bentley Nettles. “We warned businesses TABC will have no tolerance for breaking the rules, and now, some bars are paying the price. I hope other establishments will learn from these suspensions.”
Texas is not the only state targeting alcohol licenses for restaurants found violating social distancing guidelines. Several bars in Nashville, including Kid Rock’s Honky Tonk, were issued a five-day suspension for violating guidelines by seating customers at the bar.
Earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, amended his stay-at-home order to prohibit the arrest of business owners who were caught violating closure mandates after a hairstylist, Shelley Luther, was arrested for working in her salon during the stay-at-home order.
