Tuscaloosa Closes Bars, Limits Alcohol Sales For Restaurants

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — Bars in the city of Tuscaloosa will close for the next two weeks beginning at 5 p.m. Monday night and restaurants will be prohibited from making alcohol sales via bar service following an executive order issued Monday morning by Mayor Walt Maddox.

The decision comes following recommendations by the University of Alabama's virus response team as in-person learning begins on campus amid the return of more than 20,000 students. The announcement was made at a joint press conference Monday at Manderson Landing featuring Maddox, UA President Stuart Bell and Dr. Ricky Friend, dean of the UA College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) and member of the UA Situational Response Team.

"I know this is not easy," Maddox said. "The coronavirus has taken so much, but we must finish the job."

The mayor's executive order will allow for restaurants to utilize table service for alcohol sales, but bar counter alcohol sales will be prohibited from Aug. 24 - Sept. 8.

Maddox also said he will ask the Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control Board to prohibit the sale of alcohol for on-premise consumption in bars throughout all of Tuscaloosa County for the next 14 days.

"As has been outlined this morning and based on my discussions with the university over the past 48 hours, the ever-increasing number of coronavirus cases on campus will create two major disruptions for Tuscaloosa if left unabated," Maddox said. "The first is to our health care system. From the start, the city has taken decisive action to protect DCH. The second disruption is to our local economy. UA has a $2 billion economic impact. Thousands upon thousands of our fellow citizens depend upon the jobs UA provides."

Acting on the advice of area and state health experts, and those with the UA Situational Response Team, Maddox then laid out the rationale for the decision.

"If we fail to act with the courage of our convictions, DCH will be at risk of being stretched beyond its capacity in the next four to six weeks," Maddox said. "If we do nothing, UA will be forced go to virtual classes and the economic consequences will be harsh and long-lasting. These truths are hard, which require me to act within my oath."

Friend spoke to the data and trends being seen on the UA campus, which prompted the response team's recommendation to Maddox. In the time since students returned, Friend said CCHS had encountered many students who have been exposed to COVID-19 since returning to campus, particularly in the university's Greek system.

Tuscaloosa was also on the receiving end of negative attention a little more than a week ago when images of a post-Bid Day crowd on The Strip prompted criticism of the city's policies. Additionally, the controversy saw the Tuscaloosa Police Department make its first arrests enforcing the face-covering mandate as the crowd was finally controlled.

"The trend continued throughout the week and now has reached levels that require significant intervention," Friend told the media on Monday concerning new student cases.

Friend went on to say the university plans to test up to 1,000 students each day this week in locations where geographic spreading had been identified.

Both Friend and Bell commented that the efforts were made in an attempt to keep in-person instruction possible at UA, but weren't without thought given to the businesses that will be impacted.

"We understand the value of these businesses and the value they bring to our community," Friend said of the new executive order. "But we also know that eating and drinking in crowded social environments has been identified as a significant source of virus transmission."

DCH Health System has seen sustained improvement in the number of inpatient virus cases across its three-hospital system over the last few weeks following a spike attributed to the Fourth of July holiday. However, local officials have worried the return of students and the upcoming Labor Day holiday could result in new spikes, placing a further strain on the system.

As of Sunday, DCH reported 68 inpatient COVID-19 cases, with 24 currently being treated in its intensive care units. This is down substantially from when the system hit triple digits for its inpatient total in July.

In implementing the new measures, Maddox pointed to protecting the hospital from another surge of new cases, while also keeping in mind the local economy — one that hinges on in-person instruction at the University of Alabama.

"The failure to do nothing will cost more lives and livelihoods," he said. "When we make these decisions, the reflex is to focus on the 'what' but today I'd ask you to focus on the 'why.'"

Bell also told local media that UA plans to release new student testing and case data Monday afternoon.

As fears of new spikes persist, the university president reassured the public that UA's isolation and quarantine resources were not near capacity at this time. Patch reported last week that the university has secured quarantine space at two on-campus apartments — Bryce Lawn and the Highlands — for students testing positive.

As each day goes by with the possibility of bringing new cases, Bell said the university would continue working to secure additional isolation space.

Bell then echoed the mayor's concerns over fostering a safe atmosphere to keep in-person learning viable for the fall semester and said it would remain the primary focus for university leaders as new testing measures and safety precautions are implemented.

"These steps, these protocols," Bell said. "Those are critical in order for us to continue to achieve that goal."