Louisville, Kentucky — On Tuesday, Gov. Andy Beshear adjusted the curfew he set on Aug. 11 for bars and restaurants, pushing the 10 p.m. last call for items served to 11 p.m. 

Beginning Sept. 15, last call for service will be at 11 p.m. with establishments expected to close by midnight. This was a specific request from those in the restaurant industry, Beshear said. 

“We are revising our guidance on our bars and restaurants as it pertains to their curfew … in recognition that especially with sports coming back, some of the games can now go until 11.”

Beshear stressed that industries like the hospitality industry, which have regulations set to prevent the spread of COVID-19, should “try to do it right” and not try to find a way around the rules. 

Other rules for bars and restaurants continue, such as no seating at bars and limiting guests to 50% capacity with 6 feet of space between tables. 

Beshear said he was following methods utilized by Ohio and other states that keep people from going to house parties and provide an avenue for small businesses while still providing protections. 

“What we see is as the night goes on, adherence to the rules and best practices can get more lax, and ultimately we believe the spread occurs more later,” Beshear said. “We’re trying to find that right zone where we can give people an avenue if they want to go out to eat, to be at a place safely. It’s an imperfect science, but being followed in numerous states, not just ours.” 

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Dahlia Ghabour: 502-582-4497; dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour. Support strong journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe

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