Napa County Ordered To Close Bars, Other Indoor Businesses

NAPA COUNTY, CA — The State of California on Tuesday ordered Napa County to close all brewpubs, breweries, bars and pubs, indoor dining at restaurants, indoor wineries and tasting rooms, indoor family entertainment centers, indoor movie theaters, indoor zoos and museums and indoor cardrooms for a for a minimum of three weeks.

The news comes after Napa County was notified Sunday by the California Department of Public Health that because of the rate of reported COVID-19 cases over the past 14 days, the county was placed on the statewide monitoring list for three consecutive days. As a result, Napa County was also subject to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 1 order requiring the closure or modification of operations of certain indoor business sectors.

On Saturday, the county’s reported case rate over the past 14 days was 137.9 cases per 100,000 population; the state places a county on the monitoring list when the metric exceeds 100 cases per 100,000 population.

With the exception of brewpubs, breweries, bars and pubs, outdoor operations for the aforementioned businesses are allowed, and all previously issued state guidance for those sectors continue to apply in outdoor settings, county officials said late Monday afternoon in a news release.

The above-listed businesses should prepare for closure of their businesses and/or indoor operations as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, and should expect to remain closed until at least Thursday, July 30, the county said.

This closure period may be extended by the state and is dependent upon the state’s monitoring of cases and other data metrics, according to the county.

As of Monday, there have been 436 confirmed coronavirus cases in the county since March, with 291 active cases and 53 people awaiting test results.

Since June 26, the number of cases reported in Napa County jumped by 118, from 258 to 376, a 45-percent increase. The majority of these recent cases were a result of an outbreak at a congregate living site (not a long-term care facility), as well as household spread and workplace spread. The county said it was monitoring 180 cases in relation to these new cases.

"The County must comply with State required metrics and failure to meet these metrics will result in actions by the State of California to restrict activities in Napa County," said Diane Dillon, Chair of the Napa County Board of Supervisors.

"It is critical that the community continue to follow best practices including wearing a face covering, staying within your household bubble, maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from those not in your household, and avoiding parties and gatherings," Dillon said.

If Napa County cannot improve its metrics, Dillon said an extended closure along with additional measures were likely.

"Economic closures can also have a negative impact on the community’s health and well-being, particularly when the community is stressed and families need to make decisions about how to meet basic family needs," said Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa County public health officer. "I encourage all residents to take COVID-19 seriously and help prevent the spread of illness in our community."